Wales could have some of world's top restaurants, says Raymond Blanc protégé

Wales has everything it needs to have some of the best restaurants in the world, says one of the UK's top chefs.

Luke Selby, a protégé of the legendary Raymond Blanc, wants to emulate his mentor and bring a bit of the Frenchman's magic to Palé Hall in Llandderfel, Gwynedd.

Selby moved from Blanc's two-Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat'Saison, near Oxford, to become chef-partner at Palé Hall last month.

"You look around [Wales] and the produce is here, the people are here, everything is here to have some of the best restaurants, not just in the UK, but in the world," Selby said.

Selby was a fresh-faced 16-year-old when he started working for Blanc in 2009.

He left in 2015 and moved to London, plying his trade at Evelyn's Table and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, only to return to Le Manoir and Blanc in 2022.

Now, Selby is branching out on his own but he has some help.

Joining him at Palé Hall are his brothers, Nathaniel and Theodore Selby, with whom he earned a Michelin star at Evelyn's Table.

Nathaniel and Theodore also trained under Blanc.

Blanc is considered one of the world's finest chefs and he has had a significant influence on British cuisine, which has brought scores of awards.

He has mentored and trained some of Britain's best chefs, including Marco Pierre White, Heston Blumenthal and Michael Caines.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Blanc said: "For Luke and his brothers, they had an extraordinary journey.

"The kind of journey that every young person, every young chef, is aspiring to have one day, but obviously they got that."

Recalling meeting the teenage Selby for the first time, Blanc added: "I could see in this young man the way he held his knife, his curiosity, always asking questions. And it's so lovely to see that.

"For me, it's the greatest compliment, the greatest feeling of pride to see a young man become as good or better than you are. That's what it's all about."

Blanc then joked: "I hope it'll be better, but he has yet to prove it."

Palé Hall is a country house hotel on a Victorian estate in the Dee Valley.

Blanc said he had no doubt that Selby would succeed in his new venture, but warned: "You're taking on a lot, Luke."

The hospitality industry is going through a tough time, with rising costs forcing some people out of business.

The Welsh government recently announced a one-year business rate discount of 15% for pubs, restaurants, cafes and live music venues in a bid to help.

The difficulty of running a hospitality business in the current climate is not lost on Selby, but this doesn't deter him.

"It doesn't scare me," he said.

"I think I've had an amazing mentorship and training and I feel, for me, it's the next chapter, next stage of my career. I've had the exec chef role and I want to keep improving.

"If I can create anything close to what Raymond has done with Le Manoir... I want to do that at Palé Hall.

"I want to champion north Wales, champion the area, the produce, support the local farmers, the local suppliers. Some of the best produce in the UK comes from Wales. It's just been untapped."

Selby said it was an exciting time for the Welsh food scene, and said he had been welcomed to Wales by the likes of Gareth Ward, the chef patron at Ynyshir Hall, near Machynlleth in mid Wales, which has two Michelin stars.

"I think it's super exciting," said Selby.

"Wales is on the map and will continue to grow and progress.

"You look around and the produce is here, the people are here, everything is here to have some of the best restaurants, not just in the UK, but in the world."