A CHEF from Anglesey who got the taste for cooking when he was a university student has opened his own restaurant in London.

The new venture, Brat, in Shoreditch is owned by Tomos Parry, who grew up in Llandegfan, and promises a rare fusion of Welsh and Basque food.

Before deciding to go it alone, the 32-year-old was the head chef at top London restaurant Kitty Fisher’s, where he worked alongside his best friend, Chris Leach, who is also from Anglesey.

A former pupil of Ysgol David Hughes, Menai Bridge, Tomos now lives in Hackney with his wife, Georgie, and his 16-month-old son, Idris.

As a youngster, he gained a degree in politics and history from Cardiff University and it was during his time in South Wales that his culinary talent began to develop.

“My love for cooking started when I used to cook food at home,” he said. “Whilst I was at university, I was working in restaurants alongside studying. Once I had passed my degree, I realised that my real dream was to be a chef and so that’s how I came to pursue this career.”

Tomos had worked in kitchens from the age of just 13 and in the years that followed, went on to work at some of the finest culinary establishments in London, including Climpson’s Arch and The River Cafe.

He says that his speciality lies with cooking with fires and during his time at The Arch in Hackney, he won the 2014 Young British Foodie Chef of the Year award.

During his already glistening career, Tomos has served celebrity A-listers such as Bradley Cooper and Brad Pitt.

The proud Welshman says he is now fully-focused on running Brat and turning it into the next big thing in terms of culinary excellence in London.

“It was a case of natural progression for me in deciding to take on this challenge of running my own restaurant.” he said.. “I was inspired by the approach of Basque chefs when I visited Gretaria and so our menu will feature a unique mixture of Basque and Welsh influences.”

Most of the dishes available at the restaurant will be prepared by cooking ingredients over wood fires, a technique that has become Tomos’s trademark over the years.