Two chefs to open a restaurant after the decline in Wales’ hospitality industry

David Kilick and Tommy Heaney will launch Ember in trendy Pontcanna amid the 17% decline in Wales’ hospitality industry since 2023

With the recent decline in Wales’ hospitality industry, high-end restaurants have been closing down since the pandemic. A new restaurant in the heart of Pontcanna focuses on providing a menu consisting of seasonal British produce, fresh pasta, breads, butchery and in-house charcuterie.

Long time friends David Kilick and Tommy Heaney are partnering together to open Ember on 6 December.

Partnering with David Killick, the former head chef of Heaney’s said that they have been friends for a long time. “It’s just an exciting opportunity for both of us really to kind of combine our passions and just do something completely different,” Heaney said.

According to UK Hospitality, Wales lost 17% of its licensed hospitality venues since the beginning of the pandemic.

Talking about why they decided to open Ember, Heaney said: “David Killick has always been looking to kind of do his own thing, and it just kind of happened over a few days, we decided to do it.”

Heaney currently runs another Pontcanna restaurant Heaneys which opened its doors in 2018 and Kilick was the previous head chef of the pub Heathcock, which opened in Llandaff in the same year.

Statistics by Barclays shows that adults under 25 are spending 28% more in pubs and bars, and 26% more on eating out, than they did in 2022.

With Ember offering a menu of seasonal British produce, Heaney will pffer lunchtime offers on base meals where customers will get a taste of their menu for a fixed price.

The interior of Ember is designed by Sophie Pascoe, the founder of Studio Severn, which is an interior design company. 

The overall interior design is kept very minimalist and uses neutral tones to provide a calm and relaxed environment throughout the restaurant.

It’s just an exciting opportunity for both of us really to kind of combine our passions.

In a statement given to Business Wales, Kilick said: “Ember will be offering a regularly changing seasonal menu, so we’ve been working hard on the first one ready for opening and can’t wait for people to come.”