Two-Michelin-star chef brings fine dining to town football club

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Gareth Ward, who has a buzz cut, stood in an Aberystwyth Town Football Club top which is black with green stripes down it. He is stood in the football grounds with his arms folded in front of him.

ByAngharad Thomas

BBC Wales

Football fans will have the chance to swap their traditional match day pint and pie for a pop-up dining experience created by a renowned two-Michelin-star chef.

Gareth Ward, the chef behind Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms near Machynlleth, Powys - which has an almost £500 per head tasting menu - has partnered up with Aberystwyth Town Football Club, in Ceredigion.

The collaboration will bring supporters different match day dining experiences, hospitality packages and corporate events throughout the season.

Ward, who has featured as a guest judge on MasterChef: The Professionals, said he was "excited" for the new venture.

The chef-patron said football clubs should be at "the heart of their communities".

The club's team is in the Novira Cymru South division, the second tier of Welsh football.

He added: "I see a real opportunity to bring people together through food and unforgettable matchday experiences and corporate events."

The sign of Ynshir restaurant's name engraved on a fire pit. There's a fire burning with logs stacked up in the background.

The first match day pop-up experience will be at Park Avenue football stadium at the club's opening home fixture on 8 August.

Amelia Eiriksson, creative director and co-owner of Ynyshir, said they were creating something that "blends football, food and creativity in a way that's authentic to Aberystwyth".

The club's commercial director, Gethin ap Dafydd, said the collaboration offered something "truly unique" and showcased Aberystwyth "as a destination both on and off the pitch".

He added: "Football clubs today need to be more than 90 minutes on a Saturday afternoon.

"We want Park Avenue to become a place where people come together to enjoy great football, incredible food and memorable experiences, and there is no better partner than Gareth and the Ynyshir team to help us achieve that vision."

Ward cutting fish on a brown wooden chopping board. He is wearing a black top and a dark apron on top and has a sleeve tattoo on his right arm. There is a slab of red meat on the side too.

Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms is a world-renowned luxury culinary retreat in Eglwys Fach, Machynlleth in Powys. It is about 12 miles (19km) away from the seaside town of Aberystwyth.

In January, Ward said he was "not embarrassed" after his restaurant was given a one-star food hygiene rating following an inspection in November 2025. At the time, he said Ynyshir was working "at the highest standard in the world" and doing "something different" with raw ingredients and techniques.

The full food hygiene inspection report, released after a BBC Wales Freedom of Information request, revealed the restaurant was ordered to stop serving raw lobster, with "significant hazards" not properly identified.

Ynyshir said it had faced "persistent challenges" with Ceredigion council's environmental health department, "primarily relating to documentation and a lack of understanding of our specialised procedures".

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