We're selling our top-rated Swansea restaurant to improve our work-life balance

The owners of a top-rated Swansea restaurant have announced plans to sell their business in order to spend more time together as a family. Truffle, located on King Edward Road in the Uplands area, has attracted rave reviews in the almost ten years it has been open for business. The area is known for its thriving independent foodie scene, and Truffle has become a staple destination, specialising in set menus and offering BYOB [bring your own booze], which has gone down a treat with customers. The business started in 2017 when Jonathan and Jodie Cox decided to open their own restaurant after years of Jonathan working as a chef in various hospitality roles. They thought that running their own place would mean they would have a better work life balance, but fast forward almost 10 years and three children later they have decided to sell the business so they can focus on family. Fear not Swansea foodies, the restaurant hasn't yet closed, the couple are just waiting for the right people to take over the much-loved business. For the latest restaurant news and reviews, sign up to our food and drink newsletter here Recently in the news we have heard countless stories of how businesses and restaurants have had to close due to the cost of living crisis or the rising prices of products and bills, but this couldn't be further from the truth for Truffle. Jonathan and Jodie shared that the business is thriving, however as their children Nathan, Tallulah and Barney get older the work-life balance had become trickier. The chef said: "I suppose we're selling because of our desire to kind of change our work-life balance. That's basically it, really and to concentrate more on the family dynamic. "We originally bought it for a work-life balance for ourselves because I've been working for other people doing 70, 80 hours and never seeing daylight. Then we bought this with the idea of it being some kind of work-life balance so we could make it work for us a bit more. But then we had the kids, so we found the time was less." Jodie added: "It's been nearly 10 years, and we started it pre-kids. John had had a career in hospitality, chefing all his life, and I'd just come back from travelling, so we were really keen to buy a restaurant. We tried to buy this one, and it was sort of back and forth a bit, but we managed to get it. Then we got pregnant with Lula pretty soon after, about a year into it. So we've had this now for all of Lula's life and all of Barney's life, so it's quite a sacrifice for them on the weekends, which is why we're keen to change things up a bit. "It was fine in the first four years because they weren't in school , but since they've been in school, it is a bit difficult because they don't see much of their dad, so it'd be nicer to get our weekends back. "But it's been an incredible ten years. It's been brilliant. It's such a fantastic business and we feel really guilty for the community to be sort of wanting to hand it over because it's like an institution, Truffle. Everyone's got a story from Truffle, like 'oh we had our 40th there' or 'this birthday there' or something like that, and so that's why we're really keen to pass it on and give it another life after us." Over the years they've had rave reviews, including 4.8 stars on Trip Advisor, and The Sunday Times columnist Giles Coren said the meatballs were "historic". Locals have shared their disappointment that the couple are selling the restaurant. Jonathan said: "It's been a massive reaction. It's been quite nice as well to know how well thought of it is, it is nice to think that people are genuinely gutted that we're closing." Jodie added: "It has been a case of every single booking has been asking. Our poor manager Ria, she's been like getting so fed up isn't she, because she's starting to explain to everybody, 'yeah it's open and business as usual.' I mean the staff will remain as well, it's very much like you sell the business, it's only us two going, the rest of the staff, will continue working here." They shared that despite many businesses closing due to the cost of living crisis, they have found that their loyal customer base and the footfall in Brynmill has helped the business thrive. Jodie said: "I think Brynmill thrives really well. It's a busy area and there's a lot of footfall and quite often we're fully booked. I mean, we haven't felt the struggle that I think other places have because of the reputation. For us Brynmill and Uplands is amazing because it's so busy. "The community is such a community, and it's so nice when customers say, 'we've just been down to Hoogah for a cocktail, and then we're gonna go to Uplands after'. There's such a support of independent businesses, which I think there aren't so many of them these days. So it's nice. "What I love about it is that when people spend their money here, it goes straight to, like local staff, and back into the local community, local suppliers. Swansea Fish, Howells, Butchers, Cheers Wine, they're all local independents and it just creates something lovely where you're not using all the chains and the corporate businesses. We've loved it and we're going to continue loving it. I think it's been actually quite nice knowing that we're going and there's something to pass over. There's quite a lot of enjoyment in it right now because we're like oh this isn't going to be forever, and we know that one day it won't be ours." For that reason, they have decided to sell the business as a whole rather than the restaurant as they hope that someone will carry on the Truffle name. Jodie said: "Hopefully we can find people that will love Truffle and carry on what we've done, because I know hospitality is getting a bad rep at the minute as it is a difficult time, but for us it's always been a really lucrative business. We do really well from it and for us it's the time to pass it on because of our family. Hopefully we can find somebody that will want that, maybe another chef with a partner." Jonathan added: "It'd be lovely to pass it on to people who've got the same passion that we've had for it because although we bought it off the previous occupiers, we've done a lot with it as well. So it would be nice to pass our version of the restaurant on. Hopefully it will live on with someone else, they could maybe change it, different directions as well, but it would be nice if the Truffle name would live on at least." The family are looking forward to having more free time together, making the most of the summer holidays and actually having a break over Christmas. Although they aren't sure what's next, Jonathan said they are looking forward to the next chapter: "I've never had a job without working weekends or evenings, so that'll be fun for me as well to try and find something wherever. "I've always wanted to run my own restaurant, so I got to my pinnacle, so I've reached my dream, so whatever happens now is a bonus. So I don't really mind what I do in my second life, so it's exciting as well." For now, it's business as usual for the family and Truffle until they find someone to take over the restaurant. Jodie said: "It's very much just business as usual, like we've got no end date at the moment, we're just hoping that someone might want to take it over. "We're only taking bookings that we will honour. So we're still planning to do Christmas , as we imagine it will take a little while to sell, and hopefully maybe next year, maybe the year after, who knows."