AFTER five years running the popular Dragon Palace Chinese restaurant at Pentlepoir in Pembrokeshire, owners Jenny and Lok Cheung have taken on an additional business: The Woodridge Inn Hotel, located just down the road near Saundersfoot.

Following a year of lockdowns and refurbishments the inn is now open, offering a welcoming bar, 17 high quality ensuite rooms and an Asian-themed restaurant. Jenny and Lok have also reopened The Dragon Palace restaurant following lockdown.

Located approximately 4km from Saundersfoot and 6km from Tenby, The Woodridge Inn Hotel has good access to the major ports of Fishguard and Pembroke Dock and is ideally situated for trips to Haverfordwest, Narberth and Carmarthen. Surrounded by beautiful National Trust countryside, it has panoramic views to the sea from some of its second-floor rooms and sits on the stunning Landsker Borderlands Trail as well as being close to the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.

Jenny and Lok hope The Woodbridge will become popular with visitors including walkers, cyclists, bird watchers and golfers (there are a number of 18-hole golf courses nearby). They also aim to make it a popular, family-friendly hub for the local community, just as it used to be in years gone by.

“Local people have told us that they have fond memories of coming here over the years, and we want to bring these local people back,” said Lok. “We want this to be a place they love to come to with their kids, just as they used to come here with their parents. Part of the reason we want it to be family friendly is because we have a young family ourselves, and we think this would be a nice legacy for our children.”

He and Jenny are especially excited about their new restaurant, whose kitchen is headed up by locally renowned award-winning chef Cheryl Badham. Cheryl, who was previously sous chef at The Mulberry restaurant in Saundersfoot, has excellent links with local food producers, and sources the very best ingredients for her kitchen.

“I try to source all my ingredients within Pembrokeshire,” says Cheryl. “We live in such a beautiful county and its produce is something that should be cherished.”

Jenny, Lok and Cheryl have worked together to create a menu that reflects Jenny and Lok’s Asian background. It builds on their experience running The Dragon Palace, but has a broader culinary range, offering pan-Asian and fusion cuisine.

“We’re offering a nice mix of pan-Asian cuisines, including Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Filipino dishes,” says Lok. “I don’t think there is anywhere in West Wales that does this kind of food at the moment, and we’re pleased offer something fresh and new.”

They have also added Asian touches to the interior and exterior of the hotel, including an impressive pergola entrance to the restaurant created by a local craftsman. Lok and Jenny have worked to enhance the Woodridge’s large garden, making it a perfect place for a spot of al fresco dining or drinks while the children play.

Now, after over a year of preparation, they are delighted to have opened their doors.

“There have been a lot of ups and downs – obviously Covid didn’t help, but it’s coming together now,” says Lok. “We’ve got a hunger for success and we really want to make something special for the area. I think there’s a lot of untapped potential here.

“Our aim is to offer great quality rooms, a quality restaurant and bar and lovely grounds, and also a high standard of service. We’re very much a family-friendly business and we work to make sure our team and our customers are happy – and that everyone has a smile on their face.”

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WORK has been completed at Milford Fish Docks to enhance health, safety and welfare facilities, including the installation of the only marine crane in south Wales.

Following close consultation with the fleet, the Port of Milford Haven successfully applied to the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund to add to the existing provisions for local and European fishers at Wales’ largest fishing port.

Despite progress being delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, embankment ladders, additional life rings and fire extinguishers have all now been installed around the docks, as well as the refurbishment of the shower, toilet and laundry block which includes disabled access.

On the quayside, a marine crane has been installed to enable fishers to load and unload their bait and catch in a safer, more efficient manner, with comprehensive training undertaken by Port staff who are able to operate the crane at any time of the day or night – at no additional cost to the fishing customers.

In order to help reduce the amount of waste that ends up in the water, a new mobile foul waste pump out facility is now available meaning any waste from fishing vessels will be taken away and disposed of appropriately rather than entering the waterway.

Melanie Durney, Marina and Docks Manager, said: “We are home to Wales’ largest fishing docks and as a Trust Port we use any profit to develop our infrastructure and services to provide opportunities for today and for future generations. Over the last few years, we have been investing to ensure the inshore fleet can work as effectively and safely as possible, and having this funding meant we could build on what is already here. The new shower and laundry block will make a huge difference to the welfare of fishers as they now have their own designated area to freshen up and the marine crane, which is the only one in the whole of south Wales, will make landing their catch a quicker and safer process.”

The project has been part-funded through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Union.