Matt Powell

Fishing and foraging sit close to the center of Matt Powell’s practice, with the work of Fishing and Foraging Wales, Pembrokeshire, Wales, held alongside his role as chef patron of Annwn Restaurant. Since 2012, that guiding work has kept the kitchen connected to land and water, so the cooking reads as a translation of field knowledge into restaurant discipline rather than a separate line of work. Today At Annwn Restaurant in Pembrokeshire, Wales, the chef patron role places Matt Powell in charge of a kitchen shaped by place, season, and a clear point of view. He describes the job plainly: “The creative side of being a chef and also the hours are long but it can feel extremely rewarding.” That balance of pressure and reward is part of the trade; the line names the practical terms of the work without dressing them up. The food at Annwn, in Powell’s own words, is “pretty unique,” which is why he says, “I like to set my own trend.” The emphasis is on independence of thought rather than borrowed fashion. When he adds, “What inspires me is whatever surrounds us,” he draws the frame around the kitchen: the immediate environment is not a backdrop but the starting material for the menu.