Tommy Heaney to leave Bridgend restaurant to focus on Cardiff site

Tommy Heaney will be leaving his eponymous restaurant at the Great House hotel to focus on his first solo restaurant in Cardiff.

Chef Heaney has worked at the 13-bedroom hotel in Laleston, Bridgend, for the past four years, but is planning to leave the restaurant within the next three weeks.

He successfully raised more than £40,000 through a Kickstarter campaign last month to fund a refurbishment of the former Arbennig site, and is set to open Heaneys Cardiff by mid-September. He originally intended to oversee both sites, with his sous chef Gareth Denyer stepping up to the role of head chef at the Great House.

However, Heaney said on Twitter: "Never thought I'd even be considering this decision but since we launched the pop-up it became clear I wouldn't be able to divide my time and 100% focus needs to be on our first solo project."

Denyer will still be head chef at the Great House restaurant, and although a name has not yet been confirmed for the restaurant following Heaney's departure, it may revert to Leicester's.

The restaurant was known as Leicester's until last summer. Following the sale of the hotel to Sanjeev Bhagotra and Elinor Roberts, the restaurant was refurbished and relaunched as Restaurant Tommy Heaney at the Great House.

County Antrim-born Heaney will be taking part in the Northern Ireland heats of BBC Two's Great British Menu later this month, having won the same heat last year.

Tommy Heaney launches Kickstarter campaign for new Cardiff restaurant >>

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Tommy Heaney to open Cardiff restaurant >>

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