Ex-Clink chef hopes to give chippy teas a gourmet twist
A FORMER prison restaurant head chef is on a mission to return a popular city chippy back to its traditional form – but with a gourmet twist
Royston Somersall was top chef at The Clink – the restaurant at Cardiff prison which has been named in the UK’s 10 best-rated.
But after managing a team of prisoners to serve award-winning dishes for three years, he’s now taking over the XL Fish Bar on Crwys Road.
“The aim is for it to become a traditional fish and chip shop but which also offers a gourmet range,” he explained.
“I want to have food of the best standard and using carefully sourced and fully traced produce.
“I will also introduce a gourmet range with homemade pies, fish pies and fishcakes.
“There will also be nice pieces of fish such as monkfish in a nice, flavoured batter.”
Fostered into a family in Llanishen, Royston used to visit the chip shop about three times a week with his foster mother when he was a child.
And when he saw that the business was being sold, he jumped at the chance to run it.
Royston, 33, added: “The place reminds me of my childhood and I felt it should be brought back to what it was before, the way I remember it.
“It was always busy and so welcoming and it was a family who ran it. It was just a nice, friendly place to go.”
While he wants the classic fish and chips and other chippie food to be the focus of the business, he also wants to bring in a different influence, closer to the cuisine he dished up at The Clink.
All the chips will be made from locally produced Welsh potatoes and the skinless and boneless fish will all come from the British Isles.
Royston makes his own fishcakes and will gradually introduce new items to his gourmet range.
Royston, who has been a chef for 19 years, has a small team of two staff members – one helping with the food preparation and a woman who has been working there for 18 years serving customers.