Carlo Reina believes pub food can be rated on the same level as that served in restaurants and is on a mission to challenge attitudes at the Wolfe Inn. ALICE WHITEHEAD reports
There's a real snobbery about pub food and attitudes have been slow to change. But much pub food is as good, if not better, than a lot of restaurant food now. So says Sicilian-born chef Carlo Reina who has been attempting to challenge the notions of pub cuisine since he swapped head cheffing at a bustling town centre restaurant for his own 100-cover gastro pub in the tiny Welsh village of Wolfecastle, last July.
And the chef/owner of the Wolfe Inn insists there are other restaurant chefs like him who want to 'take on pub food.
'There are some great chefs, from Michelin-starred restaurants, who are very keen to move into this trade, says Reina, who runs the pub with his girlfriend Lynn. 'At the moment too many pubs concentrate their talents on drinking and the quality of food suffers. Pub food is not rated on the same level as restaurant food, but I think it can be, and we will see this happen very soon.
Cooking skills from an early age
Reina comes from a family of good cooks. At just five years old he would help his mother put together dishes to satisfy the appetite of his large Italian family, and her skills have stayed with him. He's gone on to spend more than 18 years in commercial kitchens across the UK, since he arrived here in the early '80s. 'I design all my own soups, sauces and dressings and I don't use cookbooks, Reina is keen to point out. And decades of experience have been used to good effect with the Wolfe menu, which combines classic British pub dishes with the best of Welsh produce and Italian flair.
The menu includes three types of shellfish, depending on the season, as well as fresh fish, caught off the Pembrokeshire coastline. The village fishmonger is a regular visitor at the pub and 'whatever he has, and I like, he brings, says Reina. So starters may include king prawns served in white wine and garlic butter, mussels soaked in a garlic cream or St Brides Bay scallops with mozzarella. Salmon basks in Reina's own Pernod sauce and lemon sole is fried off in butter, with the juice of an orange. Theme nights are a speciality here and, this month, Reina intends to create an extended fish menu to celebrate Pembrokeshire Fish Week.
Signature meat dish is a favourite
The signature meat dish at the pub, Beef Rossini, has become one of Reina's favourites. It's certainly the most labour-intensive dish on the menu, using a demi-glace made from meat bones, assorted Mediterranean vegetables and red wine which is simmered for 36 hours. This is then added to Welsh beef, with a swirl of cream and a topping of home-made pate. Welsh lamb is also given an Italianate touch cooked either in a garlic and mint sauce or with fresh sage and a cellar wine. Or diners can choose from two pastas with Napolitaine or bolognese sauce prepared that morning by Reina with vegetables and herbs sourced from a grocer in nearby Fishguard.
And already his food has attracted the attention of a clutch of visiting celebrity chefs. 'We've not had Gordon Ramsay pop in yet, says Reina. 'But that's probably a good thing I don't think we would get on very well. We are both too fiery and we'd probably end up having a big row.
Previous owner smoothed way
Bringing Italian food to a sleepy part of the Welsh countryside certainly needs a persuasive temperament, though Reina is keen to show that the previous owner of the pub, Gianni di Lorenzo, did a lot of the groundwork. Also an Italian, he built up quite a reputation for Mediterranean-inspired pub food, gaining recognition in the Les Routiers Guide. In June last year, Reina (then in the area looking for pubs to buy) was asked to help out in the Wolfe Inn kitchen and during his time, grew to love his compatriot, the pub and the locals. When Lorenzo retired, Reina saw his opportunity and bought the property.
Despite this, he's still had to prove himself and build his own reputation. 'Almost 90% of our customers are local, so it's been important to please them, says Reina. 'When I first arrived, a lot of customers told me they didn't like change, and didn't want anything done differently. They told me the menu confused them, so I had to simplify it and lower the number of dishes.
'They like to give me lots of advice and I'm happy to listen to them and improve things. I try to get involved in the local community as much as possible and I think they're starting to like me.
In fact, it was Reina's neighbours who came to his aid when he encountered other, more urgent, problems while setting up the business. Not only did the kitchen flood, the chimney collapsed, billowing smoke into the dining room, the gas fire leaked and there was almost an electrical fire. 'This place was pretty but run down when we bought it but the neighbours have helped us out on every occasion and pointed us in the direction of the nearest plumber or electrician, says Reina. So does he regret the money he has spent putting things right? 'No, not at all. I think a lot of people considering buying a pub are very nervous of freehold properties and instead opt for leasehold. But when you spend money on a leasehold property it is a waste, he says. 'For me, it's worth it, because I know every penny I spend is an investment in our future.
Though Reina admits it's been hard to slow down after working in a restaurant that served 800 people a week, he sees himself easing into retirement at the Wolfe. 'It will take a while to get used to the pace here even my staff tell me to take it easy. But it's great to work for myself and I think this is where I'll stop, says Reina.
'Before Gianni left he said to me 'I feel you are just the right person for this pub' and I said: 'I don't know what you mean. Me? Surely not!' But I hope that I will prove him right.
Facts 'n' stats
Covers: 100
Wet:dry split: 15:85
Money spent on property: £445,000
Average spend: £25
Famous faces: Several chefs from Ready Steady Cook and the Cheeky Girls.
Best business-boosting idea: 'Theme nights. People get bored with the same menu all the time and a new theme will bring them in. It's a good excuse for a night out a new adventure. It gives people a chance to try something they might not normally consider and it shows off the skills of the kitchen.
Behind the bar: Worthington cask, Stella, Lowenbrau, Carlsberg
Number of wines on list: 50 including a 'classical Italian wine selection such as Corvo Rosso, Merlot 2001, and Soave Classico Superiore.