Our culinary masterclass series concludes with a double helping from one of Wales’ most exciting – and busy – chefs, Nathan Davies. Have we saved the best until last? We’ll let you decide…
Born in Wolverhampton, Chef Nathan Davies moved to Wales with his family at the young age of 6. He studied catering at Coleg Ceredigion in Cardigan, and then went on to work in professional kitchens in London – including Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre – and was briefly a private chef in France before moving back to Wales. Here, Nathan worked at some of the country’s finest restaurants, including with Steven Terry at The Hardwick in Abergavenny and as Head Chef under Gareth Ward at multi award-winning, two-Michelin-star restaurant, Ynyshir for 4 years.
In 2019, Nathan embarked on an incredibly exciting new chapter, opening SY23 restaurant in Aberystwyth. With a menu centred around seasonality and using the very best of local produce – all cooked over fire on BBQ grills that he had handcrafted himself, Nathan’s cooking quickly attracted the attention of culinary critics and even the Michelin Guide. In 2022, SY23 was awarded a Michelin star and received the award for ‘Best New Opening’ in Great Britain and Ireland – the very same year that Nathan shot to TV stardom as the winner of the Welsh heat of the BBC’s Great British Menu, serving a Welsh Lamb based starter at the banquet.
Nathan has always been a passionate advocate for Welsh Lamb – in fact, Welsh Lamb is the only meat dish he served at his Michelin starred restaurant. A true testament to the unique landscapes and centuries of traditional farming practices behind Welsh Lamb. Nathan comments:
“With Welsh Lamb, because of the way that it’s raised, it hasn’t changed for centuries – it doesn’t need to change. And our climate here being lovely and always wet up on the hill or in the lowlands, that adds lots of flavour. It’s very natural. It’s beautiful and soft when it’s cooked properly.”
The first of Nathan’s Welsh Lamb dishes that he created as part of his Chef’s Masterclass was this incredible BBQ Welsh Lamb neck with miso onion and grilled asparagus. The perfect recipe if you’re looking to impress your dinner guests, bringing some Michelin starred cooking to your kitchens!
And when it comes to the numerous lamb cuts that are available to create exquisite dishes with, Nathan’s adamant that the best cut by far is the saddle, calling it the Rolls Royce of Welsh Lamb.
“The saddle is my absolute favourite cut of lamb. The reason for that is how beautiful and tender it is.”
Renowned for cooking over fire, Nathan pulled out all the stops with this extraordinary and exceptionally tasty Welsh Lamb saddle with black garlic and mushroom recipe. A delicious alternative to a traditional Sunday roast, this exquisite Welsh Lamb dish is sure to impress even the most discerning of diners.
When we asked Nathan what it is that makes Welsh Lamb so special, his response was,
“Why use Welsh Lamb? For me, it’s a no-brainer… for us it’s about flavour and it’s about consistency and that’s why we always look out for Welsh Lamb.”
There’s a reason Welsh Lamb is the first choice for world-renowned Chefs across the globe. It’s the taste. It’s the quality. It’s the consistency.
To discover more incredible Welsh Lamb recipes, head to our recipe pages.