Y Bwyty Bach

New to the South Wales restaurant scene, Y Bwyty Bach (The Little Restaurant) opened its doors in June of 2022. Located in Crickhowell, opposite Tretower Castle in a converted grade I listed barn, the head chef/owner Connor Turner was born and raised in the area and is focused on offering local produce with originality.

I visited in November to see what all the fuss was about.  

The first thing that struck me about the venue is how secluded it is. A short drive from Crickhowell and not the type of place you would stumble upon whilst milling about the town centre. As aforementioned, the building is a converted barn, which possesses a rustic charm even from the outside.

Upon entry to the building, a walk up a flight of stairs brings you into the restaurant. The dining room to the left & kitchen/pass to the right. Our table is at the back of the dining room, where we have a view of the entire restaurant. The building is oozing with character, from the wildflowers on the bar (Flowers by Becca Jane) to the timber framed beams up above.

The menu is presented with some unique dishes and classic combinations. I’m particularly intrigued by the Tunworth, Bara brith, date puree, apple; but I immediately know that I’m getting stuck into the tasting menu of 5 courses for £60, which seems reasonably priced.

We are given the option of creating our own tasting menu, but I go with the recommended.

The first course arrives, fresh treacle bread & seaweed butter, accompanied by a snack of dressed crab with apple & brown crab mayonnaise which is not documented on the menu.

The bread is warm, and the crab is fresh, I hastily mop up all the sauce from within the bowl with my bun. My palate is alive thanks to this small crab & apple appetiser.

The service is fantastic, and I adore the plates/bowls that the food is served upon (Matthew Jones Ceramics). It’s clear that the finest details are important here.

Next up is cod, smoked potato mousse, beer pickled mussels & caviar. Our server pours over some dashi (a Japanese broth) after placing the meal in front of us.

The fish is cooked perfectly and flakes away with my fork, the caviar is the best I’ve tasted and adds a saltiness. I’m concerned the textures of the baked potato mousse & liquid of the dashi broth may clash but I’m wrong. I’m so glad that a spoon has been placed alongside my napkin so I can scoop everything up. I only wish there was more of the beer pickled mussels!

This dining experience has started extremely well, and the dish I’m most looking forward to is coming next – duck is my favourite meat.

Duck with parsnip, pear, miso & cabbage, accompanied with a small side bowl of chive & truffle potato puree.

As with the previous course, the duck is cooked to absolute perfection. It’s pink, juicy & well rested, and has clearly been treated with all the love & care that the meat deserves.

The flavours and textures are all sensational: sweet pear, crispy cabbage & crunchy parsnip with a salty miso sauce amongst it all.

The chive & truffle potato puree is rich, creamy, and smooth as silk.

This is one of the finest single courses I have ever eaten.

My sweet tooth is now tingling with anticipation, and thankfully dessert is served. Poached pear with brown butter & caramelised whey, served with duck egg custard as an accompaniment.

The pear is soft, the duck egg custard is rich with jersey cream, and the crunchy nuts sprinkled alongside are another welcome texture. It’s a light dessert which doesn’t sit too heavily after several courses.

Finally, we are served ‘sweet treats’ to finish (cocktails pictured not included).

Brown butter fudge, miso marshmallow, and passion fruit pate de fruit.

This experience was superb. Everything was enjoyable: the venue, ambience, service, the price, and of course food on the plate.

I ate at a renowned Michelin star restaurant the week prior to this evening and have to say that this was even better.

As I walk down the stairs to leave, I have a smile on my face as I think to myself that my mum’s Christmas present is sorted if they do gift vouchers.

Two of my friends who dined with us ordered some other options on the menu; dry aged sirloin, black garlic & roast onion, and the Tunworth dish that I mentioned intrigued me. The cheese ice cream was certainly a quirky addition and underlines the point of originality about the plates.  

Following this meal, I had the opportunity to meet up with head chef Connor at a pub in Crickhowell, The Bear.

He has experience from working in restaurants with great reputations all over South Wales, including The Walnut Tree Inn and Heaneys.

Starting his career at Peterstone Court (Brecon) aged 16, this is where Connor says his “eyes were opened to what cooking was”. Here, he learnt the basics and worked in several other venues that the company owned, including The Manor Hotel and Nantyffin Cider Mill Inn – who held two AA Rosettes at the time.

At age 18, he moved to Cardiff and worked at The Pilot in Penarth in a Chef de partie role, The Pilot was in the Michelin Guide at this point.

From here, Connor took a head chef position at The Three Horseshoes in Brecon, commuting there whilst residing in Cardiff. Under Connor’s leadership, The Three Horseshoes were awarded pub of the year and two AA Rosettes, this was all whilst he was the tender age of 22.

 A long stint at one of Cardiff’s best restaurants, Heaneys in Pontcanna, followed this. When I speak to Connor, he glows whilst discussing his time here. It’s clear that both the restaurant and Tommy Heaney have influenced his career. “I got on really well with Tommy, I really, really like his style of food, his cooking, and his passion.”

Amidst waiting for Y Bwyty Bach to be built, which contained several hurdles and delays due to the building being Grade I listed, Connor worked at The Walnut Tree Inn in Abergavenny, which has maintained a Michelin Star since 2010. He tells me that his experience here was another positive one, with “old school” methods of cooking still implemented in the kitchen.

His passion is infectious, as he describes enjoying food which “makes him think”, with original style. We discuss the meal I had the week prior, and he goes into detail about the duck dish; sourced from Otter Valley Farm in Devon, dry aged for ten days. The duck is cooked on the crown, the skin crisped and removed from the breast, before being glazed in miso, plum & hoisin sauce to produce a “shine”.

He smiles as a I mention whether the Michelin Guide is something he thinks about: “I think we’ve had a few inspectors in”. But makes clear this is not something which influences the way he cooks or works with this in mind.

I ask what the future holds, I’m told that the lease for Y Bwyty Bach is for three years, and if all goes well he would like to keep it. Opening another venue in Cardiff is at the forefront of his mind, with an open kitchen, seated pass, and emphasis on the dining experience.

As for the short term, Connor would love to produce a menu of 8/12 courses, each course containing a long process to keep diners guessing as to how he reached the end product of the meal. The portions would be a mouthful, with “enough flavour to smack your nan in the face”.

He would like to host collaboration events with other chefs at Y Bwyty Bach, cooking up signature dishes together.

Connor’s ambition, dedication, and passion for the industry cannot be questioned. And at age 26, the culinary world is his oyster.