Author: Rhys Gregory

Browns Cardiff opened its doors to guests on Monday 13th February, making it the first Browns to open in Wales! Opening just in time for Valentine’s Day and boasting a prime location in the heart of the city centre, the stunning new brasserie & bar offers relaxed yet sophisticated drinking and dining within the Cardiff Marriot Hotel, including a large outdoor terrace ready for the warmer months. Taking inspiration from the 1920s, the new interior features art deco styling, luxurious furnishings and opulent finishes, providing a simply stunning backdrop to enjoy the delicious brasserie menu, extensive cocktail list, and fine…

American burger brand Five Guys, famed for its delicious and mouth-watering, made-to-order burgers and hot dogs, generous fries and irresistible milkshakes, is set to open a new restaurant in 2023, located inside the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Bridgend. Five Guys boasts customisation across the brand, with over 250,000 possible burger order combinations and over 1,000 ways to customise your milkshake, so there is bound to be something for everyone, making it one of the most highly-anticipated restaurant openings in Wales in the new year! Founded in Virginia in 1986 and launched in the UK in 2013 in London’s Covent Garden, the American-diner…

This Spring half term, households across Wales can collect a tree, free of charge, as part of a Welsh Government giveaway to tackle the effects of climate change and create a National Forest for Wales. As part of the popular My Tree Our Forest initiative, over 60 collection hubs facilitated by Coed Cadw, the Woodland Trust in Wales, are set to open their doors to the public from 20th February until 31st March 2023. Brand new hubs will open across Wales, with new additions in Newtown, Llandrindod Wells, Conwy, Risca and more to keep up with demand. So far, the…

Moneypenny, a global leader of call answering and live chat services with offices in the UK and US has appointed a new Group Chief People Officer, Fiona Armstrong. Fiona brings a wealth of experience from a career in large scale people leadership roles; most notably LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) and The LCap Group. Fiona’s expertise lies in leading the people agenda and she is passionate about supporting globally based diverse teams full of fantastic talent. Her role at Moneypenny will be all encompassing with a focus on attracting, developing and retaining the talented and diverse individuals who make Moneypenny what it is…

Great Point Media, the diversified London-based media group that has invested more than £500 million into the creative industries worldwide, is collaborating with Fields Park, US-based Volume Global and Media Cymru, a consortium of creative and educational institutions in South Wales to build a world-class virtual production hub at Great Point Seren Studios in Cardiff. In addition to hosting full-scale film and high-end television projects from across the UK and internationally, the facility will comprise a virtual production research and training academy in collaboration with Media Cymru aimed at continuing to develop the region into a thriving global hub for…

Cornerstone Capital, which initially launched in 2021 to bridge a gap and support property developers and private investors in Wales, has now expanded to offer funding solutions to commercial clients across the whole of England and Wales. Following the successful pilot in Wales, which saw the company support more than 20 SME clients in furthering their business aspirations, Cornerstone Capital will now provide funding between £45k – £500k, as a short-term lending loan, to commercial clients outside of Wales. Commenting on the expansion, Chief Executive Officer for Cornerstone Capital, Haydn Thomas, said: “We are hugely excited to expand our offering…

An oak tree on land between Coed Mawr and Andover Close has had branches removed without permission, action that is likely to kill it. It is believed this took place on the afternoon of Sunday, February 5. The tree was worth up to £28,000, according to Capital Asset Value for Amenity Trees (CAVAT), the system used to make such calculations. This matter has been reported to the Police and the Council will be actively looking to start legal proceedings against anyone involved. A nearby ash tree with a value of around £900 also appears to have been very seriously damaged.…

Bridgend County Borough Council remains committed to exploring all options available in relation to improving traffic in Pencoed despite the council’s recent bid to the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund being turned down. The local authority is now seeking alternative funding for the project which would see a new a new replacement bridge being built on Penprysg Road. If funding is successfully secured, the new bridge would be able to accommodate two-way traffic and would lead to the eventual closure of Pencoed’s railway level crossing, which often causes congestion when the barriers are down. In the meantime, plans are underway…

Bridgend County Borough Council’s Cabinet has approved plans for the authority to join Welsh Government’s National Empty Properties Scheme, whilst proposals to introduce a council tax premium on long term empty properties were given the go ahead at full council. Both plans are aimed at bringing more empty properties back into use and will help to increase the supply of affordable housing across the county borough. As part of the National Empty Properties Scheme, the council is now required to enter into a Service Level Agreement with Rhondda Cynon Taf Council who have been confirmed as the scheme’s lead authority.…

All Year One pupils attending schools in Swansea will be offered free school meals when classes resume after the February half-term break. Pupils in Reception have been offered a free lunch since September 2022 and the expansion of the offer to Year One means more than 4,800 children in Swansea are now eligible. Year One pupils will be automatically enrolled so there is no requirement for parents or carers to apply for the meals. The Welsh Government made a commitment for every primary school pupil to receive a free school meal by 2024 and Swansea Council is working to achieve this…