'Flavour-obsessed and cooked with passion' - Powys diner run by former chef to the super-rich gets town's top rating

Chef Jamie Tully swapped cooking for the rich and famous on superyachts to launch Tully's Sports Diner at the Hampton Hotel in Llandrindod Wells earlier this year - and he says the "very busy restaurant and takeaway trade" in the town has made the switch worthwhile.

Jamie's new restaurant in Temple Street, described as an American-style diner and sports bar concept, opened in May.

Having previously held executive chef roles at Caer Beris Manor, Builth Wells and Chartists 1770 at The Trewythen, Llanidloes since returning form his culinary travels, Jamie was keen to launch his own venture.

And the opening went down well with locals and visitors alike, with the business shooting to the top of the town's TripAdvisor charts within a month of opening.

“With all the current pressure on the hospitality industry, people may think that I couldn’t have picked a worse time to open a new restaurant, but we're very busy," he said.

"It has been a big learning curve for me to come from a fine dining kitchen to the much faster pace of a busy diner which is something I hadn’t experienced for a while."

He says he identified a gap in the Mid Wales market for a "different and affordable dining experience", serving burgers, ‘big dogs’, chicken wings, quesadillas, Cubanos, meatballs, garlic chicken skewers, sticky lamb ribs, nachos and skirt steak.

“The food is flavour-obsessed, ingredient-led and cooked with passion," he added.

“We offer an elegant yet casual restaurant emphasising natural, sustainable food and craft exquisite dishes using the best British produce from dedicated farmers and producers."

The business employs three full-time and three part-time staff.

The 100-seater restaurant is also available for exclusive hire for birthdays, baby showers, hen parties, special family gatherings, private dining or corporate events, with tailored menus and drinks packages created for group bookings.

To raise awareness of Tully's Sports Diner, Jamie has joined MWT Cymru, the independent organisation representing more than 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Deheudir Eryri (Southern Snowdonia).

MWT Cymru will run a dedicated campaign for Jamie aimed at attracting more visitors to Tully’s Sports Diner.

Zoe Hawkins, MWT Cymru’s chief executive, said she was delighted to welcome Tully’s Sports Diner into membership. 

"We are constantly developing ways to drive more traffic to support places to eat across Mid Wales," she said.

"We are also reintroducing a menu exchange initiative, which will allow accommodation businesses to easily access and share menus from local providers. This encourages greater business-to-business co-operation and helps visitors discover fantastic places to eat nearby, benefiting both the accommodation providers and the restaurants."