LIFE IN THE KITCHEN CHRIS PRICE: SOSBAN This month we chat to Chris Price, senior chef at Llanelli's famous Sosban. With a renown fine dining menu and a brand new wallet-friendly grill menu to focus on, Chris is one of the busiest chefs in the areas. But we still managed to grab him to share his thoughts on life behind the kitchen doors. When you are not working, where else in the area do you enjoy eating out? I try to vary my choices when it comes to dining out, and enjoy anything from Tafarn y Morlais in Llangennech, down to Slice in Sketty.
What was the first meal you ever cooked? The very first meal I cooked was actually a Sunday roast. It was a roast shoulder of lamb with a red wine jus, Yorkshire pudding and sweetened carrots. This all came from Gordon Ramsay's Sunday Lunch cook book, and it turned out very well! What's your favourite meal to cook for yourself? For myself I love to cook some honest, uncomplicated Italian dishes – whether it's trying to find the perfect carbonara or having a go at some simple but effective pizzas. What's the most popular item on your menu at the moment? Currently I'd say the most popular dish on the menu is the braised shoulder of Welsh lamb, which comes with tender stem broccoli, roasted shallots wrapped in Carmarthenshire ham, and good old mashed potato – made from scratch.
What's the best thing about being a chef? The best thing is being given the task of creating new menu ideas; figuring out what works best on the dish and then getting some good feedback from our customers, who say they thoroughly enjoyed their meals. It's always great to hear those words: 'compliments to the chef!' And the worst? I would say the only downfall of being a chef is the long hours. Trying to fit in a social life while working crazy long days throughout the week is pretty tough, but it's worth it in the end. Finally, if you weren't a chef, what would you be doing? If I wasn't a chef I would probably be improving my swing on the golf course. I love spending most of my days on the course taking in the Costa del Carmarthenshire sunshine!
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