Jimmy and Louise Williams, owners of the Signatures Restaurant
A couple who transformed a holiday resort restaurant into one of the Wales’s finest eating places have spoken to Business Post about continuing to ‘raise the bar’.
Jimmy Williams came to the restaurant on Aberconwy Resort and Spa near Conwy back in 2008 to work as head chef.
The following year Jimmy and his wife Louise took over the restaurant – renaming it Signatures.
Since then their reputation has grown year on year and saw them take the Best Restaurant in Wales award in 2013.
The resort itself was sold to Darwin West Country earlier this year but Jimmy and Louise – who own and manage the restaurant – remain very much at the heart of the park.
Jimmy said: “I came as the head chef back in 2008 and then we took it on and renamed it Signatures.
“While I am in the kitchen, Louise is very good at what she does and she is a workaholic.
“I could not do it without her and this is very much a team effort.”
Louise said: “That is why Signatures has been so successful, we all work as a team, it is like a family really.”
It did not take the couple long to build a reputation locally – attracting people from a wide area to the resort on the outskirts of Conwy. READ: Restaurant chains booming in North Wales
Jimmy said: “Word of mouth spread over time and we get a lot of faces that keep coming back. So much of our custom comes from people talking about us.
“Often they come as a couple and a few weeks later they come back with a big group.
“A lot of people, when they first come here are blown away by the decor, they don’t expect it on a caravan park and there is a wow factor.
“The biggest thing people say is the consistency of the food and the service.
“Every time they come it is the same high level, from day one that is what we wanted to achieve.
“They also see the same people here and keeping staff is part of that consistency.”
It has been steady growth every year since taking on the restaurant where there is an emphasis on preparing food from scratch.
Jimmy said: “We pride ourselves on what we do, fresh bread, things made freshly on the premises and local produce where possible and that requires staff.
“We won’t change on that, there is pride in what we do, we have not worked all these years to buy stuff in.
“We source a lot locally.
“We have Edwards of Conwy as our main butcher supplier and Mermaids in Llandudno for the fish.
“We keep it as local as we can and support our local businesses.
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“People support us so we like to do the same. It is what it is all about.”
These high standards have been rewarded.
In 2013 they took the best restaurant in Wales award in the Wales Tourism Awards.
They have also been in the celebrated Michelin Guide for the last four years.
They are not resting on their laurels and aim to keep pushing up standards.
“We want to keep doing what we are doing and also push the boundaries, bring new things to the area,” said Jimmy.
“We have to keep refreshing things and it is nice to get the feedback.
“We get a lot of the same customers because they come back to us and we have to keep changing things, although a few people don’t like it when we take off one of their favourites from the menu!
“We try to keep everyone happy.”
Since opening the number of quality eating place in the area has increased.
Louise said: “There is a lot of competition and there are a lot of eateries opening, people will try new places.
“We have to keep raising the bar.
“Other things have changed. The seasons have changed, it was a lot more seasonal but now it is pretty constant and we use promotions to fill those traditionally quieter months like January and November.
“It is about giving people another incentive to come back.”
Jimmy added: “When the restaurant is full there is no better place, it is buzzing,
“We have an open kitchen so people can see the chefs cooking, we have nothing to hide.
“They can see them rolling pasta, making bread, fresh ice cream, all made here.
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