SKETTY: Michelin Guide restaurant Slice to close after 13 years as owners plan new concept

One of Swansea’s most celebrated restaurants is to close — with the team behind Slice in Sketty announcing their final day of service will be 25 October.

The 16-cover restaurant on Eversley Road — a fixture of both the Michelin Guide and the Good Food Guide since opening in 2014 — is run by chefs Chris Harris and Adam Bannister, who have cooked together since college, with Lyndsay running front of house.

“After 13 wonderful years in business at Slice, we have come to the difficult decision that it is time for a change,” the team said in a statement on social media.

The restaurant will operate as normal until 8 August, before taking its annual two-week break — and when it reopens on 27 August, it will offer its tasting menu exclusively for dinner service through to closure.

“This change is necessary as Chris will be undergoing heart surgery, which will leave Adam and Lyndsay managing the restaurant,” the statement said. “We feel this is the best way to ensure we can continue providing the consistency and quality that our guests have come to expect.

“Following this period, we have decided that the time has come to close the doors of Slice. Our final day of service will be 25 October 2026.”

The pair’s story stretches back to their training together on the hospitality and catering programme at Gower College Swansea‘s Tycoch campus — and both went on to work under Michelin-starred chef Stephen Terry at the renowned Hardwick in Abergavenny.

The two then made a deliberate decision to part ways to build their own experience — Mr Harris taking roles in high-end, premium kitchens around the UK to absorb different culinary styles, while Mr Bannister completed a stint at Lancashire’s Northcote under Great British Menu champion Lisa Allen — before reuniting in Swansea to buy Slice.

Mr Bannister brought the tiny restaurant to a national audience when he won the Welsh title on the BBC’s Great British Menu in 2015 — returning to represent Wales in 2016.

The restaurant — true to its name, a wedge-shaped room seating just 16 diners above the kitchen — has long punched above its weight, with Michelin inspectors highlighting the personal welcome from the chef-owners among its charms.

“We have loved every moment of our journey at Slice,” the team said. “It has been a privilege to meet so many wonderful people, become part of this amazing community, and share countless memories with you over the years. We are incredibly grateful for the support and loyalty you have shown us throughout our time here.”

But the closure will not be the end of the story — with the team revealing they are already working on what comes next.

“While this news may be sad, there is also some excitement for the future. We are currently working on a new concept that will allow us to spend more time with our boys while still remaining part of this fantastic community,” they said.

“We look forward to sharing more details with you in the coming months. Thank you for being part of our Slice story.”

For diners wanting a last visit, the timeline is this: the full offer runs until 8 August, tasting-menu dinners return from 27 August — and the doors close for the final time on 25 October.

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Sorry to bring politics into a silly cooking show that I like watching; but with the theme this year being "British Movies", it's only natural for Harry Potter to be included alongside Wallace & Gromit and James Bond... But I can't help but feel my heart sink whenever there is a HP dish that pops up.

It's just the book's author, JK Rowling, has been a huge proponent on the crippling rights for trans people in the UK - making it harder to just live our lives in this forsaken country (alongside several other reasons)... The popularity of the series has enabled such unjustified hate on people who means no harm and given the means for said author to cause damage just because the black mold told her to! And for someone like me: it just sours my feelings on Harry Potter, and I feel those dishes is furthering the popularity.

Anyways, great dishes shown, amazing cooking. These feelings have are dumb in this context. Thanks for reading this uncalled-for vent! 🙃

#greatbritishmenu

Michelin-starred chef to help serve up the ‘Best ever pub pie in Wales’

Tom Shepherd is sharing his secret pie recipe for the first time ever, giving Marston’s customers up and down the country the chance to enjoy a new version of a favourite pub dish, inspired by his banquet-worthy original.

The Best Ever Pub Pie will be available to order in over 100 Marston’s pubs, including 17 in Wales, for 12 weeks, from 17 April.

In South West Wales it will be available at The Mary Dillwyn in Fforestfach, Swansea, The Pheasant in Bridgend, Rose and Crown in Porthcawl and Lost Coins in Withybush, Haverfordwest.

The triple-layered pie is filled with hand-pulled beef cheek, caramelised onions, and roast potatoes, all encased in a luxurious beef fat shortcrust pastry. The pie will be served with seasonal vegetables, creamy mashed potato and a rich red wine sauce. 

Tom Shepherd is an award-winning chef, restaurateur, and entrepreneur and owns the Staffordshire based, Michelin-starred restaurant Upstairs by Tom Shepherd. Tom appeared on Great British Menu in 2023, winning the main course round and the chance to cook his pie at the coveted banquet.

Tom has been working closely with the Marston’s development team to make sure that the pie is as close as possible in flavour and appearance as his iconic dish.

Chef Tom Shepherd said: “I’m so excited to be partnering with Marston’s to give as many people as possible the chance to try my secret recipe. I have been asked to share the recipe a lot, but it hasn’t felt like the right partnership, until now!

“For me, when I think of the pub, I think of a good pie, so I was delighted to have the chance to work with the Marston’s team to bring this pie to life. I can’t wait to see what people think. The Best Ever Pub Pie will only be on the menu for 12 weeks, so don’t miss out!”

Claire Robertson, Director of Operations at Marston’s, said: “Pies are some of the most popular dishes across our menus, but we wanted to do something extra special and when Tom Shepherd agreed to share his recipe, we were thrilled.

“We’ve worked really hard together to create the most delicious dish possible, it’s rich, decadent and absolutely delicious. We can’t wait to introduce The Best Ever Pub Pie to customers across the UK, giving as many people as possible the chance to try my recipe from the 17th of April.”

#chef #Fforestfach #foodDrink #GreatBritishMenu #Haverfordwest #MarstonSBrewery #MichelinStar #pies #Porthcawl #pub #restaurant #Swansea #TomShepherd #Withybush

As much as I mostly enjoy the community on #Mastodon, I do sometimes miss the ability to search for a pop culture topic (like an ongoing TV show) and mindlessly scroll through comments about it.

Every time I yield to that nostalgia, though, I get cured of it a little bit more. Within seconds of a recent search for #GreatBritishMenu on a popular social media site, I found:
* Posts complaining about a wildcard entry being awarded to a chef of Asian descent;
* presumptions that said chef identifies as a Muslim because of their name and skin colour; and
* racist sarcasm about a Muslim and a South African fighting to cook a main course in a British competition.

It was genuinely surprising to see representation in GBM of Trans people in form of a dish dedicated to the first Trans Woman who got bottom surgery in the UK… The dish itself flopped; but it’s the thought that counts!  

#greatbritishmenu #trans #transgender #transwoman