1 Michelin Star Chefs: Hywel Griffith, head chef and director, Beach House Restaurant

The Staff Canteen

Hywel Griffith is the head chef and director of Beach House Restaurant in Oxwich, South Wales.

Launched in June 2016, the beachside restaurant was named AA Restaurant of the year in Wales the following year, and became the sixth restaurant in Wales to receive a Michelin star in the 2020 guide.

Beach House Restaurant

Oxwich Beach, Swansea SA3 1LS

Telephone: 01792390965

Website and reservations: https://beachhouseoxwich.co.uk/

Opening hours:

Wednesday-Sunday: 12–2:15pm, 6–9:15pm

Monday-Tuesday: Closed

Career Path

Born and raised in town of Bethesda in Gwynedd, North-Wales, Hywel knew he wanted to be a chef when he was just 13 years old.

He studied at Coleg Menai in Bangor before heading to the Lanesborough luxury hotel in Kensington, London. 

Since then, he has worked alongside prominent chefs including Simon Radley at The Chester Grosvenor, Shane Hughes at Ynyshir Hall, Paul Heathcote at Longridge Restaurant and Steven Smith at Freemasons.

Three years after launching the restaurant on the Gower Peninsular, the chef became the first to be given a directorship and a share of The Seren Collection, which is owned by Zoe and Neil Kedward and also includes The Grove of Narbeth and Coast in Pembrokeshire. 

Beach House

Set in a former coal store in Oxwich, South Wales, Beach House Restaurant is a quaint-looking brick building with views on the bay. Inside, vaulted ceilings, white wood-pannelled walls and wooden floors are complimented by soft lighting: candles and dimmed, low-hanging lights. 

Like many modern fine dining restaurants, the kitchen is open - meaning guests can watch on as the kitchen team works, and the kitchen team can bask in the restaurant's atmosphere. 

What the guides say

AA Restaurant of the Year for Wales 2018-2019

3 AA Rosettes 

Michelin

 

 

Though the restaurant's casual-sounding name could be misleading, the focus at Beach House is high-quality modern British food in a rustic setting.

Using mostly fresh, seasonal, local produce - including lobster caught in Oxwich Bay and vegetables from the restaurant's own kitchen garden on Penrice Estate - the food at Beach House reflects the chef's love for fishing and game hunting. Classical techniques are executed to perfection, emphasising the central ingredient in each dish, evolving over time and with the seasons.

Menus are written in English and in Welsh, with guests given a choice of a five or eight-course tasting menu in the evening - or three courses at lunch. Unlike most Michelin-starred establishments, Beach House even offers a children's menu.

Michelin singles out the chef's loin of roe deer with parsley, pickled beetroot and blueberries; tandoori roasted halibut with crispy pork shoulder, yoghurt, onion and coriander; and finally, Bara brith souffle with tea ice cream. 

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The Staff Canteen

The Staff Canteen

Editor 18th January 2021

1 Michelin Star Chefs: Hywel Griffith, head chef and director, Beach House Restaurant