Wrexham’s history as a market town is key to its heritage so it was fitting that a new arts and cultural centre has opened on the site of the former People’s Market.
The new £4.5m hub, known as Ty Pawb - Welsh for ‘everybody’s house’ has two galleries, performance areas, a gallery shop and market stalls.
After shopping in the market, why not relax with a drink or maybe some Welsh tapas in the food court.
Plât Bach - Welsh for 'little plate' offers a unique blend of tapas-inspired dishes featuring Welsh produce and twists on classic combinations.
Business owners Sam Regan and Alex Jones, both of whom own bars and restaurants in Wrexham town centre, are behind the joint venture.
Both have long-standing links with trade in Wrexham, with Alex running The Bank on Wrexham’s High Street and Sam The Lemon Tree on Rhosddu Road.
The menu is really simple with an offer for small plates for £4 each or choose three for £10.
We take advantage of the deal that offers six plates and a bottle of wine for a bargain £25. The menu is split into three parts with a something to nibble, small plates and open flat bread section.
The atmosphere has a communal feel with shared tables, open spaces but with intimate lighting overhead. There was an open slot for buskers when we ate with some very talented performers making use of the facilities.
Tim Denton was commissioned to design the bespoke furniture for the food court.
The small plates section has a huge choice of about 18 different tapas with a combination of Welsh or Spanish inspired dishes.
We chose six items starting with a ‘Welsh rarebit’ that was Welsh cheese and wholegrain mustard grilled on bruschetta.
We also had some delicious ‘Welsh Sausages’ with a sticky Welsh honey smothered on them.
There were five sausages all in all, which caused a bit of a dilemma but we cut one in half as tapas is for sharing after all.
We stayed on the Welsh theme with ‘Roberts of Dinorwic’ meatballs that were slow cooked in a rich sauce.
The next three had more of a Spanish tinge with ‘Pollo con Chorizo’, which was chicken, and chorizo sprinkled with paprika.
We went on to ‘Patatas Bravas’ that were basically crispy cubes of potato with a spicy tomato sauce before finishing with ‘Pan tomata', garlic bread served Catalan style rubbed with fresh garlic and tomatoes.
The six dishes were all wonderfully fresh, piping hot and absolutely delicious with a bottle of merlot to wash it all down for an extra £5 proving bargain of the century.
We spot someone on the next table to us having one of the open flat breads and boy did it look good with choices such as chicken, smoked salmon or chilli prawns, all beautifully presented with salad for around £4.95 each.
There was a nibbles section for the not so hungry with various olives, houmous and breads for about £2.95 to £3.50 or of course you could use them as a starter.
There was another food court provider called ‘just sweets and desserts’ but we were really too full to try them but we stayed there happily just having a drink whilst watching the entertainment.
We vow to return to try the open flat breads the next time we are in town but were already more than delighted by the whole experience we had encountered of a sociable venue providing an authentic tapas experience at a bargain price.
The Facts
The bill: Six tapas plates and a bottle of wine: £25
Atmosphere: Communal and sociable
Car parking: Monday-Sunday 7am-10pm, for one to three hours: £1.80
Disabled access: Full disabled access and toilets
Service: Order at counter but the team bring the food to your table
Overall: Influences from Spanish kitchens around the world and from some places much closer to home
Opening times: 7am-10pm.
Ty Pawb, Market Street, Wrexham, LL13 8BY. Tel: 01978 292093.
