Just got home from a morning looking at local independent shops and a coffee at Blaenafon with one of the ward Councillors, Councillor Alan Jones.
Being blessed with a sunny morning I walked through the town heading to Coffi 1860 to meet Alan, what struck me first was the selection of shops on offer and the historic feel of the High Street, with the stone work, quaint mixture of small and larger shops.
Coffi 1860 was a really nice old fashioned café, with the art décor lights and tiled walls complimented with a mix of wooden tables and settees.
The service was prompt and top class, we were made to feel very welcome, I was really pleased to read that Coffi 1860 uses locally sourced fresh produce, which is an added bonus for the local economy.
They also offer catering packages for buffets, ranging from classic at £3.75 per head to a hot package at £6.95 a head.
Coffi 1869 is located at 76 Broad Street Blaenafon and can be contacted on 01495 790127.
Another impressive shop was ‘Flowers by Stacey’ an independent florist who was a pleasure to meet and chat to, the shop had an impressive selection of flowers within and outside the shop.
The General Stores down the road from Stacey was my downfall, with a large selection of cakes and biscuits which I couldn’t leave on the shelf, the owner was really friendly and the shop was really well stocked and not all plastic and white shelving like so many, it was in keeping in character with the town, one I will be using regularly.
Blaenafon Cheese company, what can I say except if you enjoy locally produced cheese, then you need to visit this shop!
The highlight to my visit was Artie Craftie, an award winning Art & Crafts shop with a photography studio located at 3 Commercial Street.
Nick the owner was a real gent and explained what services the shop offered, I was pleased to hear that he also offers a professional framing service and a huge range of specialist art and craft items, one of the best craft shops I’ve been in.
Another bonus was meeting another Giles, a first for me!
Artie Craftie can be followed on Facebook and Twitter.
What really amazes me, is what is actually right on our doorsteps, a huge range on independent specialist shops and services, just waiting to be discovered, you will always get a real friendly service and excellent after service.
A massive THANK YOU to Councillor Jones for giving me a tour of his town this morning, one I can be sure he’s very proud of.
Abersychan Ward 