Host venue for golf’s prestigious Ryder Cup in 2010, The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales is also a big-hitter on the culinary scene in the United Kingdom.

No fewer than six separate restaurants are spread across the five-star Resort’s three hotels and two golf clubhouses, giving a variety of mouth-watering choices for hotel guests and local food aficionados alike.

The jewel in the crown is Terry M, a contemporary fine-dining restaurant which has just celebrated five years of retaining three coveted rosettes from the AA restaurant guide, an accolade which places a kitchen firmly “in the big league”. Celtic Manor Resort Culinary Director Peter Fuchs said: “We opened a new fine-dining restaurant in 2008 with the aim of providing the best gourmet cuisine delivered with immaculate service in a wonderful ambience.”

“The menu continues to reflect seasonality with a strong emphasis on the use of locally sourced ingredients, producing fresh, intense and punchy flavours.”

Under head chef Tim McDougall, who trained with the 2 Michelin starred Jean Bardet in France’s Loire Valley, Terry M has forged an impressive reputation in the local area and is one of the leading fine dining restaurants in South Wales.

With options ranging from a six course tasting menu to two course express lunches, the restaurant offers something to suite every palette and budget.

It is far from the only restaurant offering at Celtic Manor, however, with a larger Olive Tree restaurant in the main Resort Hotel and a French bistro, Le Patio, in the charming 19th Century Manor House.

There are further thriving restaurants – Rafters and The Lodge Brasserie – in the Resort’s two golf clubhouses and yet another dining choice at the Newbridge on Usk, a charming country inn located six miles upriver from the 2,000 acre estate.

Peter Fuchs has strong connections with South Africa having spent more than a decade working in establishments such as the Carlton and Rosebank Hotels in Johannesburg and Sun City Cascades in the 1980s and 1990s, rising to the post of Executive Chef at Sandton Sun and Towers back in Johannesburg. He has also held senior positions in Mauritius, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and at Harrods in London.

He returned to Celtic Manor, the UK’s Top Hotel for conferences and events, after a seven-year absence in 2011. On his return, Peter took up the new position of Culinary Director, charged with bringing all the different kitchen departments together to achieve consistency in delivering a fivestar offering and standards of service throughout the various food outlets.

“With six restaurants and a large conference and banqueting provision, it is important to bind it all together and share best practice across the business,” he says. “Another thing I have been keen to establish is a culinary training programme at Celtic Manor. We have recruited our first Culinary Apprentices and the idea is to build up a reputation as a centre of excellence for trainee chefs, using the best food ingredients in a high-quality kitchen environment.”

With so many restaurants, it’s just as well the Resort boasts plenty of activities to work up an appetite or burn off some calories. Situated at the gateway to Wales, just two hours from London, The Celtic Manor Resort is also the perfect base to explore some outstanding Welsh countryside and culture including the nation’s heritage coast, the Brecon Beacons and a multitude of castles.

*Article from The Culinary Artist, Issue 2