Later this year, star chef Tomos Parry will return to his roots with a collaboration with West Wales’s rustic retreat, fforest.
Parry, who hails from Anglesey, hosted his first pop-up at the glamping site-cum-farm last autumn, and is hosting the second featuring his teams from London favourites Brat, Mountain and Brat x Climpson’s Arch this September.
Guests can book in for a whole weekend of feasting, drinking and forest bathing from 19 to 21 September while staying on-site in Cardigan. There’ll also be guided walks with the fforest owners, and talks with Parry, plus all meals will be laid on, including two from the Brat and Mountain teams.
Guests have the option to book into one of the site’s varied accommodation options, from the newly univeiled domes, to shacs, cabins, bell tents, or the Georgian farmhouse.
Or for those who prefer to see more of what West Wales has to offer there’s the option to book in just for one Brat & Mountain X fforest dinner on Saturday, which is a six-course feast.
The menus will be inspired by the local landscape, created with seasonal produce from the farm and served in the venue’s Cedar Barn. “Embracing the restrictions of rurality, we’ll explore the flora and fauna of this special place, drawing on its limitations to spark new ideas,” says Parry.
As well as bringing 30 of his team, including chefs, bakers, sommeliers and servers, Parry and the fforest founders, James Lynch and Sian Tucker, have invited a circle of collaborators and guest chefs to contribute to the weekend.
Set on 200 acres of wild nature reserve near the river Teifi, fforest has been at the forefront of Cardigan’s foodie renaissance since it opened in 2007.
Lynch and Tucker moved to the area from Shoreditch after attending art school in London, and have since opened a string of destinations which shine a light on the area’s fantastic local produce. There’s traditional pub The Castle Inn, as well as Pizzatipi and hotel Albion Aberteifi, and a beach shack in Aberporth named The Boy Ashore.
There’s also plenty of other local gems which prove the area’s culinary clout. Teifi cheese mongers in Ceredigion has been making raw milk cheese since 1981 and is now the most highly awarded artisan cheesemaker in Britain. Plus Bara Menyn in Cardigan has people flocking all the way from Aberystwyth for its perfect sour dough.
This corner of Wales has plenty to draw food-loving Londoners away from the capital, though if visiting this autumn, Parry’s pop-up will be the cherry on the cake.
The Mountain & Brat X fforest weekender runs from 19 - 21 September. Book tickets at coldatnight.co.uk
