Copyright walesonline
A popular Swansea food vendor will be taking on an exciting new venture in Gower' s Stouthall manor house, which was once a hospital. Food by Sean, which is known for its extravagant afternoon teas and grazing tables, will be the new tenants of the stunning building, and it has some big plans. The business already runs Food by Sean No.600 in Ynystawe, Môr in Mumbles, Food by Sean located in Llansamlet , and it also owns a catering company under the same name. The announcement was made on social media on Saturday, October 11, that the creative minds behind these incredible food establishments will be taking over the manor house to bring their culinary delights to yet another Swansea location. The brains behind Food by Sean are former Langland Brasserie head chef, Sean Martin from West Yorkshire, and his wife Nicola Martin from Llansamlet, who previously worked as a regional manager for a pharmaceutical company before being made redundant during the Covid-19 pandemic. With a baby to care for and an uncertain future looming, the couple launched their own business, initially serving afternoon teas before identifying a niche in the market during lockdown. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What’s On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here . Now they'll be taking on Stouthall, which was built in 1780 for the Lucas family and was designed by the same architect as the Penrice Castle mansion. Nicola from Food by Sean shared their excitement for their new venture. She said: "Stouthall was a bit of a no brainer for us! It was the next step, combining all we’ve done in one venue, under one roof. Sean has exceptional talent in the kitchen and I love creating themed events and memories for our customers. I think Stouthall will allow us to reach new levels. "We’d like to fill the venue with lots of exciting dining experiences; afternoon teas, themed evening dining experiences. Maybe some collaborations with local party suppliers, I won’t say anymore on that at this stage. Not to mention the grounds lend themselves well for outdoor events, we’re hoping to hold big BBQ events, maybe festivals, again another love of Sean and mine!" The business hopes to hold weddings in the manor house. It said these would be "intimate weddings inside, for the smaller parties, and hopefully a marquee on the front lawn for the larger events." Despite endless challenges in the hospitality industry, the duo are confident that their new venture will pay off. They explained: "Hospitality is a hard industry to be in at the moment but we definitely hope to draw the crowds, both local and tourists, visiting all that Gower has to offer. We will be collaborating with Robert Morgan from Gower Fresh through the year offering vouchers to his customers for seasonal afternoon teas, for example a Sunflower Tea during Summer." Although they have stressed the scale of the project that lies ahead of them. Nicola continued: "Stouthall needs full refurbishment, we haven’t been able to receive any funding or help from the local council. So this is going to be a labour of love, sweat and I imagine a few tears along the way. As I’ve said the hospitality industry comes with its challenges, increases on the cost of everything from rents, to rates to energy and produce make it hard to make any profit, without our clients suffering but we do our best! "We strive to use local produce, we have an amazing team of loyal staff behind us who work really hard behind the scenes to make sure we're bringing fresh ideas and executing the occasions to the very best of our ability and we just hope our efforts are well received by the public. "With my creative eye, Sean’s culinary skills and as I mentioned the team behind us, we have every faith that this will work and that we will not only be a success at Stouthall but that it’ll be a really enjoyable venture for us all! We’re all quite excited for what the future holds." Stouthall was bought by the Morgan family in 1920, who many know as the farmers behind Gower Fresh Christmas Trees. Robert Morgan, a fifth generation of the family to farm on the land, explained that his great grandfather (another Robert Morgan) bought the house. Then a hospital, where many people in Gower were born, leased the building for 50 years. He's looking forward to seeing the business revive the manor house after two years out of use. Robert said: "Food by Sean has a great following in the culinary sense, and after meeting and getting to .know them, with their values and drive, I am excited to see it evolve and work with them to bring Stouthall back to life. "Stouthall has five acres of walled gardens, and Sean is very keen on all local produce from game to fish, and he wants to grow in the gardens. So myself, a few experts and local volunteers (if anyone wants to help) are going to bring them back to life. "This revival will create jobs throughout Gower and it's so important to keep people and families in Gower working and living. This will also have ripple effects through other businesses in Gower like accommodation, food and activities." The farmer said he was looking forward to working with the business to make a beautiful summer hotspot. He explained: "Once it opens it will be a breathtaking and classical wedding venue, set in the mansion and its grounds. "With Sean's amazing culinary skills and amazing food experience, and Nicola's hospitality enthusiasm and experience it will put Gower on the map. Also, with my growing skills we are already discussing various flowers to be grown in the surrounding fields for wedding backdrops and the afternoon teas."
