Details confirmed for new Gwen chapter after Corrin Harrison exit

Gareth Ward and Amelia Eiriksson have confirmed the next chapter for Gwen in Machynlleth, with chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias set to take the helm at the intimate Welsh restaurant following Corrin Harrison’s exit.

Peter will relaunch Gwen on Wednesday, June 3, transforming the space into an eight-seat, ultra-intimate tasting menu restaurant built around fire, seasonality and a kitchen team of just two.

The announcement followed confirmation last month that Corrin would leave Gwen, the sister restaurant to Ynyshir, after three years leading the kitchen.

At the time, Gwen’s team stressed the restaurant was “not closing” but preparing for a new phase, after Corrin and his team moved on to new challenges.

Corrin’s departure generated strong interest, coming during his successful Great British Menu 2026 run, where he won the Wales regional heat and reached finals week.

He then won the fish course, but pulled out of the banquet due to ‘personal reasons’.

Peter Sanchez-Iglesias to take the helm at Gwen

Peter, best known for his work at Casamia and Paco Tapas in Bristol, as well as Decimo at The Standard in London, will now bring a deeply personal new format to Gwen.

His Bristol restaurants helped establish him as one of the UK’s most distinctive chef-restaurateurs, with Paco Tapas formerly holding a Michelin star before its closure in 2025.

The new Gwen will host just eight guests per service, with a multi-course tasting menu shaped by Peter and one assistant.

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The restaurant will centre around two open kitchens, with guests moving through the space as the meal unfolds.

The menu will change daily, with around 20 courses guided by hyper-seasonal produce, global influences and Peter’s instinctive approach to flavour.

Fire will play a defining role throughout the experience.

Peter said: “If it excites me, let’s go.”

Gareth, who also runs two-Michelin-starred Ynyshir, described the appointment in typically direct fashion, saying: “I feel like I’ve just signed Ronaldo.”

Amelia Eiriksson leads Gwen redesign

Amelia will lead the redesign of Gwen, keeping the restaurant’s dark and moody identity while elevating the space through collaborations with local artisans.

The redesign will include bespoke cutlery, crockery and hand-forged ironmongery, creating a setting designed to match the theatre and intimacy of the new food offer.

Amelia will also oversee the drinks programme. In collaboration with Ynyshir, all wines will be available by the glass as well as by the bottle, with selections focused on high-quality craft producers and pairings to complement Peter’s menu.

Gwen opening details

Gwen will open Wednesday to Saturday, with dinner beginning at 6pm and running for approximately three-and-a-half hours.

Guests will also be able to book a two-night package through the Ynyshir website, including a stay at Ynyshir on either Tuesday and Wednesday or Wednesday and Thursday, with dinner at both restaurants on subsequent nights.

The move confirmed that Gwen will continue as one of Wales’ most closely watched dining rooms, but in a sharply reimagined form.

For Gareth and Amelia, the appointment of Peter marked a significant statement of intent: not a continuation of the restaurant Corrin built, but a new expression of the same small, ambitious and highly personal Machynlleth site.