Maryann's blog: Ten years on, looking forward
Believe it or not it's over ten years since we opened Wright's
Starting out at our "motherland" in Nantgaredig, the site of our old Four Seasons Restaurant, was cosy and familiar.
Moving to Llanarthne after a short spell was a huge challenge, and pretty scary at the time.
Having built up a small but loyal team, we moved to the Golden Grove Arms, a historic village inn.
With the help of friends and family we cleaned and decorated, moved endless pieces of furniture and swiftly opened.
We soon found we needed extra help as the business grew.
Wright's Wines was born, the shop expanded, the menu grew, we got a dachshund and the following few years flew by.
Wright's became a bit of a monster, at times taking over what seemed like every minute of our time.
It was all so busy, all so consuming.
But, somehow addictive.
Then came the Covid pandemic... and overnight we had to close.
What a shock, having that conversation with all the staff individually, no-one knowing what was happening in the world and whether it would last weeks or months.
Surely not years?
Ten years on
Wright's is now gentler, more controlled, more manageable.
It still keeps us busy but we're back to working as a small team in what has become a home as well as a workplace.
Looking forward
So, what’s planned for 2023?
We are sticking to this pace of life, opening Thursday to Sunday from midday, opening for the odd special evening.
Guest chefs are welcome for Wright's Nights... more on the next, planned for early March, next week.
Music nights would be nice and are being discussed.
It would be great to have a summer shindig... watch this space.
On this Sunday evening, with a glass of wine in hand, I'm reflecting on the week, sorting the team rota, placing a few orders and putting together the café menu and supper kit for the week ahead.
The quiet after the Christmas madness has given me a chance to look forward to the year ahead. It has been a good week.