A decision by celebrity chef Bryn Williams to restrict use of the toilets inside his seaside restaurant to paying customers has been blamed for prompting Conwy County Council to seek £280,000 in Welsh Government funding to install new public toilets adjacent to the building.
Williams, owner of Bryn Williams at Porth Eirias in Colwyn Bay, north Wales, leases the beachfront building from the council. The authority constructed the premises and says the restrooms within are provided for customers of the seaside business centre that houses the restaurant, café and a photography exhibition. The council has obtained a grant from the Welsh Government to build new toilets on the promenade while discussions continue about how the funding will be used.
Conservative councillor Cheryl Carlisle said the existing facilities should be opened to all residents and visitors rather than having public money spent on new toilets. "These existing toilets should be for the use of all residents and visitors, not just the customers of Bryn Williams' restaurant," she said. Carlisle argued that the council had already paid for the building and that any grant money could have been used to upgrade other nearby public conveniences.
The opposition council leader criticised the decision to apply for the grant. "I find it quite astonishing that Conwy Council have obtained a grant of taxpayers' money from the Welsh Government for £280,000 to build more toilets on the side of the Porth Eirias building when public money has already been used to pay for the existing toilets," the leader said. "There are public toilets across the road at the bottom of the Dingle which could have had any grant monies available spent on them, to modernise and make them self-funding. This money is coming from the pockets of our already hard-pressed council-tax payers. This cannot be right, and it needs an urgent rethink. Every penny counts!"
A council spokesperson said the toilets at Porth Eirias are for use by customers of the building and asked that visitors enter the centre fully clothed and not be excessively wet or sandy. The spokesperson added that there are other free public toilets for beach users sponsored by Bay of Colwyn Town Council across the road and that "it's not been fully confirmed yet how the Brilliant Basics funding will be spent - this is currently being discussed." The matter is scheduled for further consideration at Conwy County Council's economy and place committee on Sept. 22.
Williams, who rose to prominence on the television programme Great British Menu and has worked under Marco Pierre White and Michel Roux, opened the Porth Eirias site in 2015 while still chef patron at his London restaurant Odette's. Odette's closed in May 2024 after more than 15 years. The Porth Eirias brasserie has earned three Michelin Bib Gourmand awards and won the AA Restaurant of the Year for Wales in 2019–20. The Michelin Guide has described the venue as a relaxed beachside brasserie that highlights Welsh produce and local seafood.
The dispute has drawn attention to how councils manage public amenities in leased buildings and the use of targeted government grants for local infrastructure. Conwy Council said the grant came from Welsh Government funding streams aimed at improving basic services in town centres, while councillors pressed for clarity on whether existing facilities could be opened for wider public use.
Bryn Williams at Porth Eirias was contacted for comment.