The land and coastline of Wales are the inspiration for chef Bryn Williams’s new book, Tir a Môr – the first Welsh-language book by the eminent chef from Denbighshire, north Wales.
Bryn is a familiar face on television. He is a former course winner on The Great British Menu, a regular guest on Saturday Kitchen Live and he presents his own series, Cegin Bryn, on S4C.
He is also the owner of two busy restaurants: Odette’s in Primrose Hill, London, and Bryn Williams @ Porth Eirias in Colwyn Bay.
Tir a Môr, contains over 30 new recipes, and in addition tells the story of Bryn’s life and the development of his successful career as a chef.
The book is published by Gomer Press and will be officially launched on October 27, 2015.
Bryn Williams said: “It’s my pleasure to introduce this book, which is an important milestone for me. It’s not the first book I’ve published, but it’s the first one in Welsh.
“By recounting my journey, from the days as a little boy playing in the countryside in Denbighshire, to the present day, running two restaurants, I hope to show my passion for food and cooking, and the decisions and influences which have brought me to where I am today.
“There’s nowhere like the countryside, coastline and mountains which inspired the recipes in this book.”
In the book, Bryn describes his childhood and the influences on him, including his much-loved grandmother and her never-ending supply of Welsh cakes, as well as his first mentor, Alwyn Thomas from the bakery in Denbigh.
He was later trained by leading chefs such as the Roux brothers and Marco Pierre White. Bryn dedicates his new book to Alwyn and said: “Since working with Alwyn Thomas in the bakery in the middle of Denbigh, I’ve worked with chefs considered the best in the world over the years.
“Obviously, they deserve their status, but I learnt more from Alwyn than from any of them.”
The new book Tir a Môr by Bryn Williams is now available at your local bookshop or directly from the publisher www.gomer.co.uk
Elinor Wyn Reynolds from Gomer Press said: “It’s a privilege and a pleasure to publish the first Welsh book by Bryn Williams. Combining new recipes and the narrative of Bryn’s personal background, told here for the first time, make for an attractive blend.
“We wanted to give the audience a taste of what has motivated Bryn over the years, and share his intense passion for the quality of ingredients that come from the land, the sea and the mountains of Wales, as well as what has driven him to the levels of success he enjoys today.”
The next series of Cegin Bryn will be based on the recipes in Tir a Môr and is due to be broadcast on S4C in early 2016. The series is a Boom Cymru production for S4C
