In his first restaurant venture outside of London, the chef-proprietor of Odette's will be the anchor tenant of a new £4m landmark building in Porth Eiras as part of a £10m development of the area which will include a water sports centre, new coastal defences and a permanent beach.
Conwy County Borough Council leader Dilwyn Roberts said: “Conwy County Borough Council is delighted that this facility has attracted such a well-respected, high profile restaurateur and having the commitment of a renowned national chef is a real boost for regeneration in Colwyn Bay and Conwy.”
Williams, who was born nearby in Denbigh, spent three years learning his craft under Marco Pierre White at the Criterion and was a sous chef under Michel Roux Jr at Le Gavroche for a further three years.
Great British Menu
After a brief stint at Hotel Negresco – a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Nice – Williams returned to Britain to work at the Orrery Restaurant on Marylebone High Street, under head chef André Garrett. While working at the Orrery, he competed for the Roux Scholarship, finishing second.
Williams then shot to fame as a sous chef in 2006, beating a number of established chefs on the BBC’s Great British Menu. In 2008, he took over Odette’s in London’s Primrose Hill and the chef has expressed a desire to return to North Wales ever since.
Williams was unavailable for comment about the new bistro, but it is expected that the chef will split his time between Odette's and this new venture. Further details about the name, opening date and food and drink offering at the new bistro are to be released in due course.
The Welsh First Minister has welcomed the announcement, claiming it has signified a change in the times, reversing the 1960’s trend to move away from the shore and instead creating more of a pull than ever for people to return to the seaside.
Porth Eirias is part of a major regeneration project for Colwyn Bay, which has delivered a range of projects, totalling an investment of £52m.