Dave Cushley launched Feral Pig Wines within the premises of boutique hotel Llys Meddyg in Newport, Pembrokeshire, last month.

Cushley, who has a background in the on-trade and worked as a head sommelier for many years, moved back to south Wales during the Covid lockdown.

“I became a restaurant manager and forgot about wine for a couple of years, really,” he says. “But getting back to the wine was always what I wanted to do. I wasn’t intending to stay in Pembrokeshire, but I got offered the space at Christmas time and it’s perfect.”

Cushley had overseen the expansion of the restaurant – which he formerly managed – into the gardens during Covid, and now he has launched his shop in the original dining area.

“I’m right at the front of the hotel, opposite reception,” he explains. “I’m covered by the hotel’s licence so I have a little wine bar section as well. I have five or six wines open at any one time. There’s a big focus on organic, natural and sustainable wine in the shop.”

Aside from sourcing wine from local producers including Velfrey Vineyard in Narberth and Hebron Vineyard in Carmarthenshire, Cushley is working with suppliers including Ally Wines, Carte Blanche, Indigo and Iberian Drinks.

“I’ve got over 100 different bottles and there is room to expand,” he says. “It’s very seasonal so I’ll probably expand over the summer and slowly contract until Christmas time.”
Cushley has already made a start on the first of many food and wine events in the shop with chef Lewis Wilson.

Photograph © Adrian Davies Photography