“Knowledge begins with curiosity. Understanding comes through experience.”

A lifelong curiosity

“I've spent my life questioning, exploring and learning from the natural world. The more I discover, the more I realise there is still to understand.”

My fascination with the natural world began long before I became a chef.

Growing up in Wales, I spent much of my childhood exploring woodlands, fishing the sea, rivers and streams, observing wildlife and trying to understand the plants, trees and fungi around me.

Some of my earliest memories are of gathering berries and vegetables with my grandparents, picking whatever was ready from the garden or allotment.

I was always curious about the natural world, particularly the relationship between people, the landscape and the food it provides.

That curiosity has never left me.

Over the years, I've continued to explore the wild ingredients of Wales, their history, traditional uses and possibilities in cooking.

Annwn grew from that lifelong interest.

I wanted to create somewhere that reflected my understanding of food and the natural world, where knowledge, experience and curiosity were as important as the ingredients themselves.

Our foraging and dining experiences are an opportunity to share some of that knowledge and hopefully encourage others to look at the natural world a little differently.

Discover The Food of Wales.

“We look to the past, to make a better future”

Annwn is a dining and foraging experience like no other.

There is an extraordinary variety of food growing all around us.

In our woodlands, hedgerows, rivers, estuaries and along the Pembrokeshire coastline, wild plants, fungi, fruits, herbs and seaweeds can be found throughout the changing seasons.

Many of these ingredients have been gathered and eaten for generations. Others have largely disappeared from everyday cooking, along with much of the knowledge surrounding them.

At Annwn, we believe this knowledge is worth preserving, understanding and sharing.

Our foraging experiences offer an opportunity to explore the natural landscapes of Pembrokeshire, discover the ingredients growing within them and learn about their history, habitats and traditional uses.

Foraging isn't simply about finding something edible.

It's about observation, understanding and recognising the relationships between plants, fungi, wildlife and the environments they inhabit.

The more you learn, the more you begin to notice.

And there's always something new to discover.

Exploring Pembrokeshire.

Join our knowledgeable foraging guide, Dan Moar, to explore some of the remarkable habitats found throughout Pembrokeshire.

Depending on the season, you may find yourself walking through ancient woodland, exploring meadows and hedgerows, discovering plants along our estuaries or searching the coastline for ingredients shaped by the sea.

Every season offers something different.

Spring introduces young shoots, leaves and woodland plants. Summer brings flowers, aromatic herbs and coastal vegetation. Autumn offers an extraordinary variety of fungi, fruits, nuts and roots.

Throughout your experience, you'll learn how to identify wild ingredients safely, understand the environments in which they grow and discover their traditional uses and possibilities in cooking.

Dan will also introduce you to the importance of responsible gathering and respecting the habitats and species we encounter.

We never know exactly what nature will provide.

That's part of what makes each experience different.

Back at Annwn

After spending time exploring Pembrokeshire, you'll join Naomi and me at Annwn, our intimate restaurant in the heart of Narberth.

Here, I get to share another part of my interest in the natural world through the food we cook.

Annwn was never intended to be a conventional fine dining restaurant.

I wanted to create somewhere that reflected my own understanding of food, the ingredients available to us and the traditions surrounding them.

Our cooking isn't driven by fashion or expectations of what fine dining should be.

It's guided by the seasons, our curiosity and the ingredients we discover, grow, gather and preserve throughout the year.

Wild plants, fungi, seaweeds, locally grown produce and traditionally preserved foods form the foundations of our menus.

We draw on traditional knowledge and methods of preparation, combining them with contemporary cooking techniques to explore flavours that are distinctly our own.

Some ingredients will be familiar. Others may be entirely new to you.

I particularly enjoy introducing people to flavours they may never have encountered before and explaining the history and reasoning behind them.

But I don't believe an ingredient should be used simply because it's unusual.

It has to contribute something worthwhile to the dish, whether that's flavour, texture, balance or something that brings the other ingredients together.

Above everything else, the food has to be delicious.

Our dining experience is relaxed and informal, with an open kitchen where guests can watch, ask questions and learn more about the ingredients and techniques behind each course.