Author: Rhys Gregory

Following the resounding success of his pop-up ventures across Cardiff, Chef Tom Waters has announced the opening date for his first permanent restaurant; Gorse is set to open on Kings Road in Pontcanna on May 28th, 2024. Having earned his stripes in prestigious London kitchens, including stints at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck, The Square and Bonhams, Tom Waters returned to his Welsh roots with his pop-up concept, Gorse. From intimate gatherings at Ground Bakery to enchanting evenings at Insole Court, Tom captivated diners with his flavour-centric, ‘Modern Welsh’ menus which utilise Tom’s close relationships with local growers, fishers and farmers. The…

Aldi shoppers in Wales have saved 31,700 meals from going to waste over the past year. It’s all thanks to the supermarket’s initiative with the world’s largest surplus food platform, Too Good To Go, which launched in stores nationwide back in February 2023. Shoppers across Wales have so far purchased 31,700 Too Good To Go bags at their local Aldi stores, the equivalent to £212,300 in savings. The bags contain a range of grocery products that are approaching their sell-by or use-by dates and are offered at a reduced price, costing just £3.30 each for at least £10 worth of food. So far, the initiative…

FEARLESS fundraisers are about to take on their biggest ever feat for a transformative children’s charity. A group of lecturers and staff led by Karl Jackson, Assistant Principal for the Institute of Technology at Coleg Cambria’s Bersham Road site in Wrexham, are aiming to complete the Skye is the Limit Challenge next month (May). Over recent years they have taken on the Welsh Three Peaks and the Crazy 7 for Stepping Stones North Wales and collected more than £1,000 for Menstrual Health Project (MHP) by completing the Cairngorm 4000s, a three-day hike across 4,000ft+ mountains in Scotland’s eastern highlands. Karl…

Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has announced the sale of Ty Ceirios Nursing Home in Pontnewynydd, Pontypool. Ty Ceirios Nursing Home is registered for up to 40 residents over the age of 65 years with dementia and mental health needs. It occupies a converted, extended property in the Pontypool suburb of Pontnewynydd, which has 38 single rooms and one companion room. Following a confidential sales process with Oliver McCarthy at Christie & Co, and with funding sourced through Gary Boyce at Christie Finance, it has been purchased by first-time care home owners, Nikesh Kotecha, a local Pharmacist, and…

As part of a continued commitment to supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds through its partnership with The Prince’s Trust, Tesco Extra Pontypridd welcomed students from Pontypridd local schools as part of the charity’s Achieve programme. The Prince’s Trust Achieve programme is delivered in partnership with education settings right across the UK. It is designed to support and empower students aged 11-19 to develop skills and experience for life, whilst building their confidence to realise their potential. Across March and April, 26 World of Work tours have taken place within Tesco stores, covering the whole of the UK and empowering…

Occupier demand for commercial property in Wales rose for the first time in almost two years according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Commercial Property Monitor, as demand for industrial space remained strong and demand for retail space turned positive for the first time since well before the pandemic. A net balance of 8% of surveyors in Wales reported that occupier demand at all-sector level had risen through Q1 2024. Broken down by subsector, demand for both industrial and retail space rose (net balances of 31% and 9% respectively), with retail having risen for the first time…

32 schools in Wales have successfully completed the first stage of the new Careers Wales Quality Award. The award supports schools and settings with learners aged 3-16 with the development of purposeful and relevant careers and work-related experiences (CWRE) across the curriculum. The schools are taking part in the pilot of the new award and are working closely with dedicated curriculum coordinators from Careers Wales to develop a CWRE model that works best for the individual school and its pupils. This stage forms the first of three stages, each with a different focus. Titled leadership, it forms the basis for…

Two friends from Cardiff have embarked on a 1300-mile cycle ride, aiming to raise £10,000 in support of three charities. Liam Jones, owner of Cardiff independent fashion store Overseas Apparel, and best mate Josh Walker have embarked on this challenge to celebrate eight years in business. The pair set off from John O’Groats on Saturday, April 20 and are cycling the length of the UK down to Land’sEnd, and back up to Cardiff, in just 22 days. The nominated charities, Cardiff Dogs Home and 2 Wish, are two local charities close to Liam’s heart after spending time at Cardiff Dogs…

Talented students and recent graduates from Aberystwyth University have won awards at the Royal Television Society Cymru Wales annual awards ceremony. Six students and graduates from the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies (TFTS) took home coveted awards at the glittering ceremony held at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama on 12 April. Paulina Baran and Jordan Higgs, who both graduated in 2023, won the Best Drama award for their short film about grief, guilt and love, Woe. The Best Comedy/Entertainment award was presented to 2023 graduate, Tom Stoker for his self-study of creative output and consistency…

Op Viscaria continues to deliver a heightened policing presence to act as a deterrent to a range of issues affecting Swansea city centre, including anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. Here is some of the recent sentencing success by our Op Viscaria team: Joshua Hayter – 8 Theft from vehicle offences and fraud – sentence 4 months Samantha Johnson – 4 Theft offences – sentence 18 weeks Ashton Banfield – Theft offence and two assault offences – suspended sentence 2 weeks Harry Graham – Theft offence – suspended sentence 16 weeks Mark Davies – 10 Theft offences – sentence 16 weeks Sergeant…