A globetrotting private chef to the super-rich and famous has returned home to Wales in quest of a Michelin star. Jamie Tully, 28, has taken over as head chef at Caer Beris Manor Hotel in his home town of Builth Wells, and is looking to make his mark in the hotel’s rebranded Teulu Restaurant. During his career, which began as a student at NPTC Group of Colleges’ Newtown Campus, he has cooked with Michelin starred chef Simon Rogan and counts current Mid Wales based culinary stars Gareth Ward, from Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms, near Machynlleth and Nathan Davies, owner of SY23 in Aberystwyth, as friends and former colleagues. He’s now hoping to further enhance Mid Wales’ growing culinary reputation by following in the footsteps of Ward and Davies by securing a Michelin star for Caer Beris Manor Hotel, where he worked as a commis chef early in his career. After learning his trade in establishments in Wales, England, Spain and Bulgaria, he cooked at ski chalets in Austria and France, a chateau in Gozo and on superyachts before becoming private chef to Sheikh Mohammed, ruler of Dubai and one of the world’s richest men. He also set up his own company, Culinary Genius Store, before deciding to come home to Mid Wales after almost 10 years of globetrotting. At Teulu Restaurant, Jamie has launched a 12-course taster menu, along with their two and three course options, with the aim of making Caer Beris Manor Hotel a food destination. Taster evenings are £95pp with the two and three course dining starting at £39.99. Guests will be offered a special dining experience and stay from 2023, with packages starting at £350 per couple for dinner, overnight accommodation and breakfast. Major changes to the accommodation are also planned from the start of next year to accompany the dining experience, whilst the hotel will offer exclusive, two-day packages for weddings. “My goal is very simple: to put my home town Builth on the culinary map and make it a destination to travel to,” said Jamie. “Using all the experiences and flavours I’ve enjoyed around the world and produce as close to Builth as possible, the possibilities are endless. “The art and science behind cooking has kept me curious and fascinated from a very young age. I take pride in working with finesse, precision and using my ingredients to their full potential. “I love using cuts of meat and vegetables, which are not well known, not regarded to be as tasty or as good quality and turning them into delicious food. “I have been fortunate to eat in some incredible Michelin and rosette rated establishments, which is one of my favourite ways of learning about food and also keeping up with food fashion and trends.” Omara and Kimberley Ghalwash, co-owners of Caer Beris Manor Hotel, are excited to have such a talented chef onboard and have big plans for the hotel and restaurant. The historic manor house, which was once the home of Lord Swansea, is now a country house hotel set in 18 acres of parkland, surrounded by the River Irfon. Caer Beris Manor Hotel. “We are working with Jamie with one goal in mind: to achieve a Michelin star, although we know this will take a few years,” said Omar. “We are very excited to welcome him back to Caer Beris, as he’s a very talented and well-travelled chef with a world of experience, information and flavour. “It’s a great local success story because Caer Beris Manor is where Jamie developed the passion to cook when he started as a pot washer 15 years ago. “With Jamie comes our rebranded Teulu Restaurant, now officially launched. Teulu is Welsh for family which is very apt for us, as we’re family run and our staff are an extension of the family. “The future of the manor and Teulu is incredibly bright with Jamie's vision, and all at Caer Beris are supporting him every step of the way. “We aim to offer a unique real experience here, a twist of Welsh food with a Middle Eastern flair, something that hasn’t been done before.” Caer Beris Manor Hotel is a member of MWT Cymru, an independent membership organisation representing more than 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia. Some of Jamie Tully’s dishes served up in Teulu restaurant.
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The Eccentric Spirits range distilled at award-winning Mid Wales distillery In The Welsh Wind, picked up three awards at the prestigious Global Gin Masters 2022.
The brand’s Young Tom Gin was awarded a master medal in the Old Tom Gin category and Dewi Sant Gin and Cardiff Dry Gin were both awarded gold medals in the Contemporary Gin category. Ellen Wakelam, co-founder and director of In The Welsh Wind Distillery, which is based near Cardigan on the Mid Wales coast, said: “We take pride in the spirits that we distil here at In The Welsh Wind Distillery, and we are thrilled that our Eccentric Spirits range is being recognised on an international stage. “Since Eccentric Spirits has been with us at In The Welsh Wind, we have ensured that the botanical profile of each spirit celebrates the inspiration behind its creation. Our gold medal winning Dewi Sant Gin is inspired by sea spray and we use a coastal infusion of aromatic herbs to portray this on the palate. “Cardiff Dry Gin, also a gold medal winner, is inspired by our capital city’s quirks, and our Master Medal winning Young Tom Gin uses distilled IPA to introduce malty sweetness.” Eccentric Spirits offers consumers variety, with a range of different Welsh gin and spirits. From celebrating the quirks of Wales’ cities to the wildness of the coastline, each spirit within the range is a distinctive nod to the Welsh people, places and ideas that inspired it. In the Welsh Wind Distillery produces award-winning Signature Style gin and Palo Cortado cask-aged gin under its own brand. The company also produces a number of award-winning gins for other businesses. The distillery is now pioneering the first fully Welsh whisky using barley grown in the fields of South Ceredigion and North Pembrokeshire, entirely processed and matured at the distillery site in west Wales. Chaired by spirits specialists and The Spirits Business, the Global Gin Masters 2022 awards medals in each category based on the results of a blind tasting, with the aim of discovering the world’s finest gins. Picture caption: Eccentric Spirits’ Dewi Sant Gin which was awarded a gold medal in the Contemporary Gin category at Global Gin Masters 2022. The National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth will shine with blue light on today (Friday) as part of the national Go Blue for Meso campaign to raise awareness of the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma, and the dangers of asbestos.
This is part of a wider campaign – Action Mesothelioma Day – which will see landmarks and homes across the UK light up blue to put a spotlight on mesothelioma, a disease that deserves more attention because asbestos hasn’t gone away. Asbestos is still in around 85% of schools, 90% of hospitals and many other public and private buildings. More people die from exposure to asbestos than die in road traffic accidents per year. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is entirely preventable. More than 2,700 people a year are diagnosed with mesothelioma. The majority die within six months of diagnosis, 60% die within a year and fewer than 10% of people with survive beyond three years in the UK. Organised by individuals affected by Mesothelioma, the campaign uses the act of lighting up a home or focal point in a village, town or city as a way to raise awareness, to remember loved ones who have sadly died of the disease and to acknowledge those living with this type of cancer. Pedr ap Llwyd, the national library’s chief executive and librarian, said: “The library is proud to lend our support to many causes, including this very important campaign to raise awareness of mesothelioma. “This year, we want to show the world the importance of drawing attention to this tough cancer, which has affected so many lives. By lighting the library blue on Action Mesothelioma Day, we will be helping to highlight a disease that many people know very little about.” The #GoBlueForMeso campaign is part of the UK Mesothelioma Alliance’s ActionMeso campaign, which brings together the diverse Mesothelioma community with a single voice. To find out more about Go Blue for Meso, visit www.actionmeso.org/goblue Matthew Hirst will be targeting his fourth straight 2022 Motorsport UK Pirelli Ravenol Welsh Rally Championship win when he contests the Nicky Grist Stages based in Builth Wells on Saturday, July 9.
Co-driven by Declan Dear, Hirst became the first driver since Callum Black in 2017 to win three Welsh Championship rallies in a row when he won the Plains Rally in his Delta Salvage Ford Fiesta R5+ last time out. If he wins again, he will be the first driver to win four in a row since Luke Francis in 2016. Both Callum and Luke went on to win the Welsh title in those years. The Welsh Championship's live streaming service - facebook.com/WELSHRALLYCHAMPIONSHIP - will have more action and interviews. Howard Davies will commentate on live stage action and interview drivers and co-drivers at the midday service. Organised by Quinton Motor Club, the 2022 Nicky Grist Stages starts from Strand Street in the centre of Builth Wells at 08.31am. After a loop of stages through Llyn Login, Monument, Halfway and Crychan forests, cars will return for a midday service on the Builth Wells RFC pitch before a repeat run over the stages. After all eight stages and 45 stage miles have been completed, the podium ceremony will take place in Groe Park at 3.30pm, with the River Wye and the landmark 18th century bridge in the background. “The Nicky Grist Stages is one of the events which we look forward to each year,” says Hirst. “The pace at the front of the field just seems to get quicker every year. “I’d put this down to the fact that the route doesn’t generally alter dramatically year-on-year, typically with just small changes here and there. That allows you to build confidence with the pace notes and generally gives a good feeling to the pre-event preparations. “It’s also the only time to compare the Pirelli Ravenol Welsh Rally Championship pace against the BRC which is an interesting opportunity, albeit on the proviso that they have had the opportunity to recce the stages beforehand. “This will be the fifth time that we have entered the event and upon reflection we have yet to have a proper clean run. Hopefully we can get through this year with no dramas!” James Giddings finished second last time out in his Group N Fordpad Mitsubishi Evo 9 to shoot up the points table and become a real title contender. Co-driven this time by Lee Taylor, the former Fiesta ST Trophy and Citroën C2 Challenge champion has taken little time to get used to his new car and will be one of many trying to stop Hirst’s winning run. Bob Morgan/Ade Williams are also having a fantastic season in their Winner Garage Škoda Fabia R5+. They lead the Ravenol Challenge and arrive at the Nicky Grist Stages as the top-placed Škoda crew. Dylan Davies has had a troubled start to the season, which will make the 2019 Welsh champion all the more determined to score maximum points as he and co-driver Mark Glennerster contest the event in their Škoda Fabia R5+. Another former champion Bob Ceen, who won the title in 2001 and 2015, arrives in Builth Wells on top form having scored a fifth-place Welsh Championship points finish last time out on the Plains. He and co-driver Shaun Layland know the classic Mid Wales forests well and will have their sights set on another strong performance in their ‘National spec’ Ford Fiesta R5. Picture caption: Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear in their Ford Fiesta R5+. Image: Paul Mitchell Photography |
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