News
Welsh restaurant in NYC, owned by Milford Haven brothers, to close
A RESTAURANT in America, which is owned by two brothers from Milford Haven, and proudly serves Welsh food, is to close its doors next month.
The Sunken Hundred is located on Cobble Hill, 276 Smith Street in Brooklyn, and is named after the legendary sunken kingdom of Cantre’r Gwaelod, which is said to have laid between Ramsey Island and Bardsey Island and has been described as the “Welsh Atlantis”.
Two brothers from Milford Haven, Dominic and Illtyd Barret, had planned the restaurant since 2008 and finally opened it in September 2016.
However, today (Feb 18), it was announced that the restaurant is to close.
On the Facebook page the owners said: “With very heavy hearts, we have to announce that on March 3 2018, we will be serving our fabberluss Welsh food and cocktails for the last time. We’ve worked so hard over the last two years to bring a taste of Wales to New York, and the incredible reception our little bar in Brooklyn received was as unexpected as it was overwhelming. Unfortunately, despite all the great reviews and fantastic feedback from our customers, we just don’t see a realistic way to make Sunken Hundred a profitable business. So, regrettably, we’ll be closing our doors and looking forward to new adventures.
“We are immensely proud of Sunken Hundred and what we’ve achieved. None of it, of course, would have been possible without our fantastic staff, many of whom have been with us from the very beginning. Our love and heartfelt thanks go to Ashaun, Freddie, Tori, Charles, Sarah and Ashley; Tom, Terri, Clemmie, Hugh and Jeff; Jon, Annalyn, Kim and Serena. You bought into our seaweed-tinged vision and made Sunken Hundred a very special place, with great food, natty cocktails and superb service. We will miss working, arguing, laughing, crying and scoffing seaweed snacks with you so much. You are simply wonderful.
“We’d also like to thank all the people who’ve supported us – New York Welsh, especially Ty, Marc, Rhodri, Sioned and Gwillim, Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company, Penderyn Whisky, Craig, Stifyn Parri, Heyer Performance, Shana Sokol, Fran Evans, Hong-An and Aidan, Amanda Schuster, Tiny Rebel, the Welsh Government in USA (especially Efe), Chris, Matthew Rhys, Eryn Richards, Hywel and Chloe; our teacher and her students in our weekly Welsh Class: Katie Phillips, Richard, Leigh, Lauren and Kathryn; Mike and Rachel Barry; all our amazing locals, regulars and not-so-regulars and, of course, all our family and friends in the neighbourhood, back home and around the world.
“We have two weeks of Welsh seaweed-munching left, and we would love you to join us to enjoy Cantre’r Gwaelod in the way us Welsh know best: scoffing, singing and maybe just a little bit of swilling. We want to celebrate, not be sad. And we want to celebrate with those closest to us.”
News
Closure of Tata Steel’s coke ovens sparks political and union backlash
THE recent announcement by Tata Steel to close the coke ovens at its Port Talbot plant in South Wales has ignited a firestorm of political and industrial action, highlighting the deepening crisis within the British steel industry and the challenges facing the transition to green steel.
Jo Stevens MP, the Shadow Welsh Secretary, expressed her concerns over the impact of the closure on the Welsh steel industry and the workers affected. Stevens emphasized the need for assurances about the workers’ immediate future and pledged that a UK Labour government would invest in the steel industry to support the transition to green steel, harnessing the skills, talent, and ambition of Welsh steelworkers.
The closure, slated for Wednesday due to concerns over the ovens’ “operational stability,” has been criticized by regional Senedd Members for South Wales West, Tom Giffard MS, and Dr. Altaf Hussain MS. They accused the Labour Welsh Government of neglecting its support for the Tata Steelworks in Port Talbot, highlighting a lack of financial assistance since 2019 and calling for a change in response to the current developments.
Unite, the UK’s leading union, has been vocal in its opposition to Tata’s decision, describing it as a shock and a “result of years of betrayal.” The union criticized Tata for not disclosing the imminent risk of closure during recent consultations and announced a ballot for industrial action among 1,500 Tata workers. Unite insists there should be no job losses at Port Talbot or Llanwern and that a blast furnace should remain operational.
Peter Hughes, Unite’s regional secretary for Wales, called for Tata to halt its closure plans in anticipation of Labour’s promised £3 billion investment to rejuvenate the UK steel industry. He accused Tata of managing the decline of UK steel while accepting government subsidies, describing the company’s actions as “deliberate industrial vandalism.”
The closure has not only raised concerns about the future of steel production in the UK but also spotlighted the political and economic strategies required to ensure the industry’s survival and transition towards more sustainable practices. The unfolding situation underscores the need for a collaborative approach between the government, industry stakeholders, and the workforce to navigate the complex challenges ahead.
News
Firefighters tackle blaze at block of garages in Monkton
ONE person was injured as a result of a sunday afternoon garage fire in a block of garages in Monkton.
A spokesperson for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service told The Pembrokeshire Herald said: “At 1.31pm on March 17, Pembroke Dock and Milford Haven crews were called to extinguish a fire in an alight central garage and were forced to use two breathing apparatus and two hose reels.
“The firefighters reportedly left the scene at 3.02pm after continuing to dampen the fire and check for fire spread.
“The casualty was treated by ambulance service personnel also in attendance.”
The police confirmed that a garage fire had been dealt with by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Welsh Ambulance Service attended.
News
Air ambulance called following incident at Aldi Pembroke Dock
THE WALES AIR AMBULANCE, along with the Welsh Ambulance Service and police were called on Monday morning to an incident at the Aldi supermarket car park in Pembroke Dock.
The Herald understands that the alarm was raised after a car hit a person in the car park after 9am.
We have been told that the incident involved a local taxi.
The emergency services have been asked for a comment.
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