A chef places food delicately in a bowl and another chef looks out of a window in his restaurant.

Food & Drink

Where Food Lovers Eat: Brat’s Tomos Parry

Ahead of his headline dinner at Farmhouse’s Festival of Food, the star chef shares his choice of the UK’s finest restaurants beyond the capital, from a top-notch pub near Whitstable to an art shop in Wales
By Kate Lough

Brat, known for its whole turbot grilled over charcoal, is one of London’s most talked-about restaurants of the year and, as of 2019, the proud owner of a Michelin star. And the Welshman behind it, 32-year-old Tomos Parry, is now one of its most talked-about chefs. On 17 August, Parry leads the line-up at Soho Farmhouse’s Festival of Food with a three-course dinner in the Barwell Barn, joining Cook for Syria, Henrietta Inman and Rachel Khoo. Here, Parry talks Brat, cooking over fire and restaurant energy – and shares his favourite food spots outside the capital.

A piece of fish cooks on a wooden plank on top of a charcoal fire, two fillets of cooked fish with sauce on a plate and four open oysters on ice.

Tell us about Brat…


Brat is a mix of all the places I have worked in previously. I tried to create a restaurant that I would like to dine in and a kitchen environment I hope is exciting to work in – one that keeps all the old London details combined with the bars of the Basque country. 

 

Can you give us a sneak peak of the menu you’ll be serving at Farmhouse?


I’m looking forward to cooking on its fire-pits and grills. We’ll do whole aged ducks cooked with hay as well as wood-fired cheesecake and leeks with fresh cheese – all dishes we do at Brat. I’m trying to source seasonal produce from as many suppliers in the Farmhouse area as possible.

 

What do you look for in a restaurant?

 

A good energy and a feeling of being transported elsewhere. The food and produce is very important but the whole experience is equally as important. 

 

 

Tomos Parry’s four top picks outside London:

A basket with fresh green herbs in it, a plate with vegetables on it, a chef prepares food in a dining room with steam in the foreground.

Where The Light Gets In, Stockport

 

Super-local and seasonal, with exciting produce, a beautiful room and a forward-thinking approach to cooking and wine. No menu – they just serve what’s best that week from their farm, with natural and interesting wines. 

 

Wtlgi.co

A pub in the english countryside next to a field with sheep in a misty morning, a cut of cooked duck on the bone on a plate with vegetables.

The Sportsman, Whitstable

 

A big influence on me and Brat, The Sportsman is essentially a pub, but one that exquisitely executes classic British dishes, influenced by the great masters of French cuisine. It’s unpretentious, original and has great staff – all in a lovely pub setting near the sea. 

 

Thesportsmanseasalter.co.uk 

A woman holds a tray of delicate sweet pastries, and a well-dressed beetroot salad on a white plate.

The Art Shop & Chapel, Abergavenny

 

Everything is locally sourced from the surrounding areas of Wales. Impeccable ingredients cooked simply – and a very relaxed and idyllic outdoor space set in the Welsh valleys.   

 

Artshopandgallery.co.uk 

Grilled fish on a plate with a glass of red wine on a blue tablecloth, the coastline in Cornwall.

Prawn on the Lawn, Padstow

 

One of the best fish restaurants on the English coast, Prawn on the Lawn serves super-fresh seafood from Cornwall. They have a refreshing approach and a really good relationship with the local fishermen. The menu changes daily – I order whatever they tell me is best. 

 

Prawnonthelawn.com 

 

Tomos Parry is cooking a three-course dinner at the Farmhouse Festival of Food on 17 August. Tickets are £65 per head. Book your tickets here. 

Lead image: Brat's Tomos Parry