It’s that time of the week where I get to sit down nice and early with my cup of coffee in my kitchen at home and tell you all about what’s going on at The Warren. And I genuinely absolutely love doing this. I think telling the story of The Warren is one of my favourite things to do, so let’s go!
There’s plenty happening this week. We’ve got a new dish that we think could become a bit of a Warren favourite, opportunities to join our kitchen team and help develop our wine offering, a new fortified wine arriving from France, and a few updates on the things we’re building beyond the restaurant itself. From rewarding our regulars to developing the Warren Food Collective, there’s lots to talk about.
Could our focaccia pizzata become a Warren favourite?
We’ve had a few changes and upgrades to the menu recently, and we’ve been talking for some time about trying to become known for a particular dish at The Warren. Something people come back for again and again. Something they think of whenever someone mentions The Warren.
And I think we might have nailed it with our focaccia pizzata!
Tracy’s homemade organic focaccia, topped with delicious local and seasonal ingredients. I mean, who doesn’t love pizza, and who doesn’t love focaccia? So why not put the two together?
The response so far has been pretty positive, and we’re really excited about where this could go.
They’re relatively inexpensive to make, quick to serve and fit perfectly with this new model of casual dining we’re developing, with natural wines and really good food.
We’re trying to create something that feels relaxed and accessible, without compromising on the quality of the ingredients or the thought that goes into what we serve.
So if you haven’t tried one yet, please do come in and give one a go. I’d love to know what you think!
An opportunity to join Tracy in the kitchen
We’ve also got an opportunity coming up in the kitchen to work alongside Tracy.
Personally, I think this is a really exciting position for someone who wants to be part of something that’s growing, develop their skills or just do something a little bit different.
We’re continuing to evolve what The Warren looks like, and there’s something exciting about being part of a team that’s still developing its identity and finding new ways of doing things.
And if you happen to be a superstar chef hiding in the woods somewhere, now might be the time to come out!
If you know anyone who might be interested, please do spread the opportunity around.
A new opportunity for a wine lover
This is another one I’m particularly excited about.
We’re looking for someone to help us develop the wine side of The Warren. We’re building a wine offering centred around natural wines, organic producers and people who genuinely care about how their wine is made.
I’d love to find someone who matches that enthusiasm and wants to help us take it further.
This isn’t simply about choosing a few bottles for the wine list. There’s an opportunity to help shape our selection, discover new producers, tell the stories behind the wines and the people who make them, and introduce our customers to things they might not have tried before.
There’s also scope to organise wine tastings, develop a wine club, get involved in staff training and events, and perhaps make some of our favourite bottles available for people to take home.
You don’t need to be a qualified sommelier. I’d much rather find someone who’s genuinely passionate about wine, curious about the people and places behind it, and excited about spreading that knowledge with others.
The idea is to build something that benefits The Warren, our customers and the person who takes it on. There’s plenty of room to develop the role, and I’d love to hear from someone who has ideas of their own and wants to help make them happen.
If that sounds like you, or you know someone who might be a good fit, please get in touch. I’d love to have a conversation!
Something a little different on the wine list: Maury
Talking of wine, we’ve got something new arriving that I’m particularly excited about.
We’re bringing in a Maury Vintage Rouge from Domaine Mas Amiel in the Roussillon region of southern France. It’s a naturally sweet, fortified red wine made from 100% Grenache Noir grapes, from the 2023 vintage, and it’s certified organic and biodynamic.
If you’ve never tried a Maury before, it’s a lovely alternative to the more familiar dessert wines. Rich, naturally sweet and full of character, it’s a wine with a real sense of place.
We’re planning to serve it alongside our Caws Teifi cheese plate, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how that pairing works.
I love finding wines that give people something a little different to try, especially when there’s a great story behind them.
Keep an eye out for this one on your next visit!
Rewarding our regulars
We’ve also been working on a loyalty scheme, and I think we’ve come up with a pretty good one.
When you come in to eat, you can leave us your email address when paying your bill instead of choosing a printed receipt. This links you to our Square till system, allowing you to collect points that build up towards vouchers you can spend on a future visit.
Those vouchers are valid for up to two years, so there’s no rush to use them.
It’s a simple way for us to say thank you to all the lovely people who keep coming back and supporting what we’re doing here.
Independent restaurants rely on people choosing to come back, recommend us to friends and become part of the place. We never take that support for granted, and it’s nice to have a way to give a little something back.
Warren vouchers: a gift for food lovers
We’re also coming up to gift voucher season, so just a reminder that you can buy Warren vouchers for yourself or for other people.
They can be emailed directly to friends and family, making them ideal for birthdays, special occasions and, of course, Christmas.
If you’re looking for a gift for someone who loves good food, interesting wines and discovering independent places, please do consider us.
Every voucher purchased helps support an independent restaurant, our team and the producers we work with.
Our community fund keeps growing
Our community fund continues to grow thanks to the generosity of our customers, which is just brilliant.
Every bit helps, and I’m really grateful to everyone who’s contributed so far.
One of the things that matters to me about running The Warren is finding ways for what we do here to have an impact beyond the restaurant itself. Good food should be something more people can access, and I want us to keep exploring ways to make that happen.
Thank you to everyone who’s already supported the fund. It really does mean a lot.
Introducing the Warren Food Collective
We’ve now published the idea behind the Warren Food Collective on our website, and I’m really excited about what this could become.
The idea is pretty simple: bring people together to buy organic and sustainable food in bulk, at prices as close to wholesale as possible.
We buy together, we buy in bulk, and we reduce some of those retail markups.
For me, though, it’s about more than just saving money on food.
I’ve become increasingly interested in how we can become more food secure in our own lives and less dependent on supermarket shelves. What happens if there comes a point when the things we rely on aren’t available? How can we make good-quality food more affordable while helping people become more resilient in their own homes?
I’d love to help create a system where people can access the ingredients they want at a fairer price, while building stronger connections around food.
It’s early days, and there’s lots to work out, but the basic principle is one I really believe in: working together can help us achieve things that are much harder to do on our own.
If this sounds like something you’d like to be part of, have a look at the Warren Food Collective and find out more about what we’re planning.
A visit from our friends at Coaltown Coffee
We also had a visit from the lovely family at Coaltown Coffee recently, who have written a really lovely piece about us.
They’re incredible supporters of The Warren’s relaunch, and it’s always a pleasure to spend time with the people behind the products we serve, learn more about what they do and build those relationships.
Good food and drink don’t just happen by accident. There’s usually a whole load of passionate people behind them, working hard to produce something they believe in.
I love getting to know those people and spreading their stories. It’s a big part of what makes working with independent producers so rewarding.
We’re grateful to the team at Coaltown for their support, and it’s lovely to have them as part of our story.
That’s it from me this week!
As you can see, there’s always something happening at The Warren.
From trying to find the dish people will come back for again and again, to discovering exciting wines and building projects that help people access good food, there’s plenty to keep us busy.
Thanks for reading, thanks for supporting The Warren, and thanks for being part of the journey.
I hope you all have a wonderful week, and hopefully I’ll see you soon for a focaccia pizzata and a glass of natural wine!
Deri x