End of year thoughts
As we close The Warren for our annual three-week break, I want to take a moment to share a heartfelt reflection with you – our loyal mailing list community – who’ve been with us through thick and thin. This year has been one of the most challenging I’ve faced in hospitality. Running The Warren is a dream come true, but it’s not always easy. The demands are relentless, and the uncertainties of the industry can feel overwhelming on the best of days. There have been moments when I’ve questioned whether we’re doing enough, whether it’s all worth it.
But then, I think about the joy this work brings – not just the joy of creating amazing food and welcoming people to our restaurant, but the joy of giving back through Cegin Hedyn, our community project.
Cegin Hedyn has given me a whole new reason to keep going. It’s been a privilege to use the wonderful asset of The Warren to support something so meaningful. Whether it’s providing a ‘pay what you can’ lunch to someone or seeing the smiles of volunteers working the soil at our Growing Project, this connection to the community fills me with purpose & love.
I’ve always envisioned The Warren as a community restaurant, and more than ever, it feels like one. Every time we use The Warren to bolster the work of Cegin Hedyn, it becomes clearer that this isn’t just about running a restaurant – it’s about creating a space that nourishes people, body and soul, while strengthening the bonds that tie us all together.
To my incredible team – Meleri, Saskia, Rhys, Tom KP, Hannah, Harriet, Tom Chef, Leigh, and Jen – you’ve been the heartbeat of The Warren while I've been expanding our work. Your creativity, resilience, and most of all belief have kept us moving forward, and I’m endlessly grateful to you all.
To you, our customers: your support means everything. It’s because of you that we’ve been able to celebrate milestones like being named again in the Good Food Guide’s Top 100 Local Restaurants and my win as the BBC Food & Farming Community Food Champion 2024. But beyond the awards, it’s your belief in what we’re doing & choosing to support us that keeps me inspired.
Thank you for being part of our journey. The Warren is more than just a cafe/restaurant – it’s a living, breathing part of this community, and I’m so proud of what we’re building together.
See you soon,
Deri
