Our quest to find a small, independent Welsh café to support every month this month brought us to Caffi Siop Plas in idyllic Anelog, just a five-minute drive outside Aberdaron.

To say that we were blown away by this place is an understatement. It simply stands for everything right, and to truly understand why I need to tell you the story of how Caffi Siop Plas came to be and how this place is so much more than just a cafe.

To do this, I first need to take you back to 1843.

In 1843 the Plas Carmel site in Anelog consisted of the chapel (Capel Carmel), chapel house (Plas), and gardens and was leased to the trustees of Capel Carmel for 999 years.

The shop on the site (Siop Plas) was subsequently built in 1920 and served the local community, acting not just as a shop but as a community hub for the people of Anelog. The shop eventually closed its door in the 1980s, when the last tenant, Thomas John Jones, retired and left the shop and the house. Sadly, the site fell into disrepair.

In 2014 a community committee came together to restore the site to secure its legacy for generations to come. There was significant backing for the restoration and funding granted to enable this cherished site to thrive again.

It was in 2020 that construction work began to restore Siop Plas. A new iconic red shell, inspired by the red jasper stone of the area, replaced the zinc shed that originally housed Siop Plas. The original woodwork from Siop Plas was salvaged and used to clad the interior walls bringing warmth, character, and nostalgia to the space.

In October 2021, Caffi Siop Plas opened its doors again, run by Ffion Enlli from Aberdaron and her partner Coco from France.

The passion poured into Caffi Siop Plas by Ffion and Coco is evident from the first footstep through the door. The warm, friendly welcome and bustle of happy customers inside, the carefully considered interior design supporting local businesses, makers, and artists, and the support for local food and drink producers add to a long list of reasons to visit this place.

The café has a simple, seasonal menu (changed every week) with fresh organic produce supplied by Fferm y Felin and coffee from Coaltown Coffee. The bread served is baked locally in Rhiw. There is also a varied selection of sweet treats. The carrot cake was quite simply the best carrot cake I have ever eaten, and I’ve eaten a lot of carrot cake in my time.

The café itself is small and cosy. Reserve a table for lunch to avoid disappointment.

The walls are currently adorned with photographs of the area by talented local photographer Elin Gruffydd and are available to purchase on-site, the work of a different local artist showcased every month.

Supporting talented local people is evidently at the forefront of every interior decision, with beautiful tables in the café made by a local carpenter and joiner, Daron Evans. 

As was the case back in the 1920s, this special place acts as the perfect community hub, available for the community to use for social occasions, meetings, workshops, or cultural and heritage events. A recent screen-printing class took place in the space with separate adult and children’s sessions. It completely sold out, a testament to the popularity and need for community spaces such as these.

This place places history, legacy, sustainability, ethics, support for local people, beautiful design, and tasty locally sourced food at its heart.

Every person involved in this community project should be incredibly proud of how they have contributed to the legacy of Plas Carmel and Caffi Siop Plas.

Sara Griffiths