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0:00:42 > 0:00:45- The Vale of Clwyd should be called - the Village of Clwyd.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49- It's like a village - where everyone knows one another.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51- Everyone looks after one another.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58- There's an abundance - of quality vegetables and fruit here.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00- That's why I cook them in London.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03- The land is fantastic.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07- For me, the Vale of Clwyd - is the best place in the world.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31- We're on Llwyn Mawr farm, - Llanrhaeadr.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33- It was my uncle's farm...
0:01:33 > 0:01:35- ..and my grandfather's before him.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38- I lived here every weekend.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41- I helped Dad and Uncle Arwyn - every night.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45- It's a family farm - sheep, - beef cattle and dairy cattle.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49- When I was a boy, - there were over 50 pigs here.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53- There was a vegetable shop here. - It was a family business.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04- Every time I'm home, - I visit the farm.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08- We go shooting - in the area around here.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13- I like visiting Llwyn Mawr. - I have a lot of fond memories.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16- I remember Uncle Edward here, - Dad and Uncle Arwyn.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19- There was always something - going on here.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22- People would always visit the farm.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25- I have many fond memories - of the area.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29- A lot of young people lived here, - a lot of Welsh speakers.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32- I remember Uncle Arwyn and Dad - chopping wood...
0:02:33 > 0:02:36- ..and giving the wood away - in return for wine.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38- Uncle Arwyn would shoot rabbits...
0:02:39 > 0:02:42- ..and exchange them - with another farmer for potatoes.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45- Everyone swapped what they had.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48- It shows that communities - are still alive in Wales.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02- My favourite place on the farm - is that forest behind me.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06- Playing with my brothers, - Gareth and Sion, in the forest.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08- There were a lot of toads in there.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12- We'd go shooting - between October and January.
0:03:13 > 0:03:18- The forest was our Center Parcs - or Alton Towers as children.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21- There was a swing in there, - and a tree house.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25- We built everything inside it. - That's my favourite place.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44- The first time I saw Bryn...
0:03:44 > 0:03:47- ..he came to the bakery - with his father.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50- He was eleven or twelve years old.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52- His father said...
0:03:52 > 0:03:55- ..this boy's always baking cakes...
0:03:56 > 0:03:58- ..and cooking Sunday lunches.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02- He wanted to gain some experience.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06- He started working here - on Saturdays...
0:04:06 > 0:04:08- ..and stayed here for five years.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13- At the end of the five years, - he went to Llandrillo College...
0:04:13 > 0:04:15- ..to study Bakery.
0:04:15 > 0:04:21- After a month, - he came to the bakery and said...
0:04:21 > 0:04:23- .."Bad news, boss.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26- "I've changed my course.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30- "I'm not going to be a baker - any more. I want to be a chef."
0:04:33 > 0:04:36- He was on his way - to becoming a chef after that.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51- When I worked at the bakery, - I saw Alwyn doing everything.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54- He'd take flour, water, - salt and pepper.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59- By combining those ingredients, - he would create something magical.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03- You'd see the yeast growing - as if it were alive.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06- That's what inspired me - to start cooking.
0:05:06 > 0:05:11- Seeing ingredients - turn into something you could eat.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15- Alwyn has played a huge part - in my career.
0:05:17 > 0:05:23- I left the bakery when I was 16 - and started working in a kitchen.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28- I worked in Cafe Nicoise - in Colwyn Bay while I was at college.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31- I worked with chef Carl Swift.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36- He'd worked in London. - He told me I should go to London.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39- I finished college in June.
0:05:39 > 0:05:44- In March or April, I was flicking - through the catering magazine.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49- I read that Marco Pierre White - was looking for chefs.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- I asked Carl if he thought - I was good enough...
0:05:53 > 0:05:55- ..to work for Marco Pierre White.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- Carl had already worked in London.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01- Carl answered - by handing me the phone.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05- He punched the numbers - into the phone and handed it to me.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09- I spoke to Marco Pierre White's - head chef from Cafe Nicoise.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14- I went to London and worked there, - without pay, for a week...
0:06:14 > 0:06:16- ..to try and prove I could do it.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19- I was taken on - and by the end of June...
0:06:20 > 0:06:22- ..I was working in London full-time.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26- It was a huge culture shock.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30- The hours I worked, - the way I worked and where I lived.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35- I lived in a small bedsit - with just enough room for one.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39- A cell would have been bigger!
0:06:39 > 0:06:42- I was paying 100 a week - to live there.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46- I remember the shock - of the first six months.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50- I came home - having lost a lot of weight.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52- Mam was close to tears.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55- The tears were welling up - in her eyes.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59- She thought I was working too hard.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01- I went back to London.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05- I've been there for over ten years.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24- The farm isn't in our family now, - and that's strange.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29- As a child, I always thought - our family owned the farm.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33- Everyone knows - the Pen y Maes family.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36- Now that the Pen y Maes family - no longer owns Llwyn Mawr...
0:07:37 > 0:07:40- ..it is rather sad to think - that all the memories I have...
0:07:41 > 0:07:43- ..are just memories.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47- I can't visit the farm as I used to - - I have to ask permission.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49- The owners always say yes...
0:07:49 > 0:07:52- ..but I'd rather see the farm - owned by our family.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55- It was an important part - of my childhood.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58- If I had my own children...
0:07:58 > 0:08:01- ..I'd like to bring them - to see where I grew up.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06- It's a farm, but as a child, I drove - tractors, cars and motorbikes here.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08- It was a huge park for me.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- It's sad to think - that it's all gone now.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23- When I pulled off the road - and drove into Llwyn Mawr...
0:08:24 > 0:08:28- ..the first thing I remembered - was the fun with Dad and Uncle Arwyn.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33- The memories of the families - - one family, two or three families.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35- We'd have so much fun together.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43- No amount of money can buy that.
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0:09:37 > 0:09:40- I left London because I wanted - a different experience.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44- I'd worked in London - for six or seven years.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46- London's a busy place.
0:09:46 > 0:09:52- I wanted to sample different food - and live at a different tempo.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57- Working in the south of France...
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- ..I found that people relaxed more - when they cook.
0:10:00 > 0:10:05- I enjoyed my time here, - sampling different food...
0:10:05 > 0:10:07- ..and living in a different country.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12- I wanted different experiences - before returning to London or Wales.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20- When I came to work at Le Negresco...
0:10:20 > 0:10:23- ..lots of famous people - stayed at the hotel.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26- The restaurant - had two Michelin stars.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30- I learnt from the best chefs - in the world.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34- It was a shock to the system - but in a positive way.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39- In London, there was a lot - of shouting in the kitchen...
0:10:39 > 0:10:40- ..and a lot of pressure.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45- In Nice, and in Hotel Negresco, - it was very different.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48- Everyone walked or cycled to work.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52- When you arrived at work, - the pace was much slower.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55- There was less shouting, - less rushing around.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58- Even though - I was being paid to work...
0:10:58 > 0:11:00- ..it felt like a holiday.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16- The worst part about working - in Le Negresco was the language.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20- I had worked in Le Gavroche, - a French restaurant...
0:11:20 > 0:11:25- ..but everyone spoke English until - lunchtime before turning to French.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29- When you work in France, - everyone speaks French.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32- No-one wanted to speak - Welsh or English to me.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33- That was the hardest part.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38- I knew I could cook, but when - you don't understand the language...
0:11:38 > 0:11:39- ..you look as if you can't.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46- For the first two months, learning - the language was a huge challenge.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56- There are huge differences - between food in Nice and London.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01- I worked in Le Gavroche, - which had a classic French menu.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06- The dishes were heavy - - a lot of butter and cream was used.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08- Here, the food was much lighter.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11- It was similar to Italian cuisine.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14- A lot of olive oil, - vinegar and salad was used.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16- It was different to London.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19- What I'm trying to do now - is combine both.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24- Food inspired by France - cooked with lighter ingredients.
0:12:34 > 0:12:39- People work six days a week in Nice - because it's a seasonal city.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42- For six days a week, - I'd walk to and from work.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47- One day a week, I'd explore old Nice.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51- Nothing's changed. The hotel still - looks good, still looks majestic.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55- It's a beautiful place - and it's great to be back.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57- I should return more often!
0:13:03 > 0:13:08- When I left Nice, the time - was right to return to London.
0:13:08 > 0:13:13- I'd worked in the south of France - for eight months - one full season.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17- I didn't know what would happen - when I returned to London.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20- I wasn't sure what would happen.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23- Fortunately, - I found work before leaving Nice.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- The next job had been arranged - before I left Nice.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31- When I left, it was time to leave.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36- I missed London, - my friends and my family.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40- I lived alone for eight months. - It was a shock to the system.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59- Every time you go somewhere new, - you learn something new.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02- As a chef, - I enjoy learning new things.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04- I learnt a lot here.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08- Nice is an important part - of my culinary career.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10- It's quite emotional.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14- It's a good feeling.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36- It was originally a house.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39- It isn't a very big place.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41- It's romantic and intimate.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44- You feel as if - you're entering someone's home.
0:14:44 > 0:14:49- I call Odette's a romantic place - in a small village...
0:14:49 > 0:14:51- ..in the middle of London.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00- I still pinch myself - every time I walk in.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05- There's no reason - why a boy from Denbigh...
0:15:05 > 0:15:07- ..should have a business - in London...
0:15:07 > 0:15:10- ..but I always think to myself...
0:15:11 > 0:15:15- ..what have I done well - and how have I reached this point?
0:15:15 > 0:15:19- I know that there's a lot - of hard work ahead of me.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24- It's wrong to think you've reached - a pinnacle and everything's fine.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26- It doesn't work like that.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29- You reach that place - and then the work starts.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41- For me, the best thing about London - is how busy it is.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43- There's always something to do.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49- So many people come to London - and bring something new with them.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52- In some ways, - trends begin in London.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56- I enjoy being in the middle - of it all and being busy.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- I enjoy being busy and working hard.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20- I came to London in 1997 - to work with Marco Pierre White.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24- Working with Marco - was the hardest work of my life.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- I thought work - would never get harder than that.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30- I left Marco Pierre White - to work in Le Gavroche.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33- Working for Marco was hard enough.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35- I'd start at 8.00am every day...
0:16:36 > 0:16:38- ..and finish at midnight.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42- When I moved to Le Gavroche, - I'd start at 6.00am on Monday...
0:16:42 > 0:16:44- ..and finish at midnight.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47- I was working two hours longer - every day.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50- Both chefs - prepared fantastic food...
0:16:50 > 0:16:54- ..but both ran their kitchens - very differently.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57- Marco Pierre White - was constantly on top of you...
0:16:57 > 0:17:02- ..shouting at you from 8.15am - until midnight - all day!
0:17:02 > 0:17:04- He saw everything.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09- Michel was far more laid-back.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11- Having said that...
0:17:14 > 0:17:17- ..I'd have ten arguments a day - with Marco.
0:17:17 > 0:17:22- I only had three arguments - in three years with Michel.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31- Normally, young chefs - stay for a year at Le Gavroche.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34- Bryn stayed for three years.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37- He showed a lot of dedication.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39- To be honest, I missed him.
0:17:39 > 0:17:44- If he were still here now, I'm sure - that he would probably be head chef.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47- He's that good, - he really is a talent.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55- With Bryn, - what you see in the kitchen...
0:17:55 > 0:17:58- ..is maybe not what you see - out of the kitchen.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01- As a chef, he's very focused.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05- He's very focused - and will look at the minute detail.
0:18:05 > 0:18:10- When you get him out of the kitchen - in a relaxed mode, he's a great guy.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12- He's great fun to be with.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22- The two chefs I've worked with...
0:18:22 > 0:18:25- ..are the best two chefs in Europe...
0:18:25 > 0:18:27- ..in different ways.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31- Marco Pierre White - is intense, intense, intense.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36- If he sees you standing still, - he thinks you're slacking.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38- You have to be working all day.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41- When I worked with Marco, - tasting was crucial.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44- Tasting, tasting, tasting.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48- He was intense, always thinking - about the dish and the kitchen.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51- When I worked with Michel...
0:18:51 > 0:18:56- ..I started to realize that eating - was a way of life for the French.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59- Michel was passionate - about taste and produce...
0:19:00 > 0:19:02- ..but there was something else.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05- At the time, - I didn't know what it was.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10- When I left Le Gavroche, I realized - why it's been there for 35 years.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12- You realize when you leave.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16- The produce has to be good, - the cooking has to be good...
0:19:16 > 0:19:20- ..but you also have to look after - your customers.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22- It's like a home. - That was the difference.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26- Marco would throw people - out of the restaurant.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28- Michel invited people in.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32- I'm more like Le Gavroche...
0:19:32 > 0:19:36- ..but the food is cooked - like Marco's food.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38- It has to be tasty.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41- Bryn Williams - is a mix of Marco and Michel.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01- You soon see that it's similar - to being a football manager.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04- He chooses the 4-4-2 formation.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08- It's up to the captain - to carry out his orders.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10- It's the same in the kitchen.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14- I choose the menu, and pass - everything over to my number two.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17- It's up to him - to stick to the kitchen rules.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21- There's a lot - of man management involved.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25- Sometimes, you shout at someone - to get the best out of them.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27- Sometimes, - you put your arm around them.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30- There's a lot - of man management involved.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34- Apple and potatoes.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36- OK, that's interesting.
0:20:37 > 0:20:38- Interesting? Interesting!
0:20:39 > 0:20:41- You won't see these in college.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45- Bryn has obviously been trained - in French classic cuisine.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50- That shows, but he's passionate - about Welsh produce.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53- He's made it his own style now, - which is wonderful.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58- Really, really, truly Welsh origins - with a touch of French.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12- I like being busy.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17- Once you begin the journey - of running a restaurant...
0:21:17 > 0:21:20- ..and working seven days a week...
0:21:20 > 0:21:23- ..it's very difficult - to stop the train.
0:21:26 > 0:21:34- I like pushing the boundaries - as a man, a chef and a businessman.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39- If someone tells me - something can't be done...
0:21:39 > 0:21:44- ..I'll try to do it just to show - that nothing is impossible.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54- I'd like one or two places.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57- I'd like a place in Cardiff - and one in North Wales...
0:21:58 > 0:22:00- ..using good Welsh produce.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05- I'd like to show the world - what Wales has to offer.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08- For me, Welsh produce is fantastic.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12- I love preparing a good dish - for my customers.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16- In 20 years' time, - I'll be in the same place...
0:22:16 > 0:22:18- ..in front of the oven, sweating.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59- S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.
0:22:59 > 0:22:59- .