A step back in time – Caffi Meinir

In 1975 the old barn next door to Tŷ Hen farm (the ruin which can be seen to the left of Caffi Meinir today) was nothing more than a pile of stone. Income was scarce and desperately needed to develop the site, so the Trustees decided to open a small Café – Caffi Meinir.

The original structure was built by stone mason and Trustee, Berwyn Evans from Llansannan. He took a week off work and worked every hour of every day to finish the work using the limited resources that were available to him.

There was now somewhere people could spend money and come for a cup of tea. Over the years the (small) kitchen developed. Many local legends have worked at the Café over the years; Elspeth Roberts a star who kept everything together. Mary from Llithfaen and Branwen Cennard we’re also two treasures.

Dr Carl Clowes remembers Elspeth buying a cheap industrial chipmaker, staff would spend hours pealing the potatoes, and she became famous for her chips.

The second phase of development came when the old sink roof needed to be replaced (with slate). There was no way a lorry could deliver the materials back in those days – the road was totally inadequate. So, RAF Valley came to the rescue. The ‘A-frames’ were flown in by helicopter, which proved to be good training for the pilot!

Since then, three extensions have been added between 2008 and 2019: Ystafell Rhys (the Hall), the conservatory and additional space to the left of the original building. Caffi Meinir is now a comfortable space where people spend hours relaxing and socialising. The multi-functional room is used for many events. Let’s hope people can visit for many cups of tea and chips, soon!