The punny names that grace our high streets
EVERYONE knows a business whose name makes them smile. Be it a cracking pun or a moniker that perfectly suits its business.
Luckily there are plenty of brilliantly named shops, restaurants and cafes across Wales to keep us amused.
The most famous is probably the wonderfully titled A Fish Called Rhondda chip shop, which has two outlets in Ton Pentre and Treorchy.
When Leighton Jones the chippy and Roger Jones the bricklayer put their heads together they came up with A Fish Called Rhondda.
Their ingenious take-off of the 1988 film A Fish Called Wanda, starring John Cleese, means the takeaway has previously won the title of best business name in Wales.
A Fish Called Rhondda proved to be the Welsh judges’ favourite, beating antique dealership Tales and the Unexpected, beauty salon Heads or Nails, delicatessen Serv-u-Rite and boarding kennels Aristocats and Top Dogs.
Leighton, who runs the shop with his wife Gaynor, said: “Roger is good on jokes and names. He started coming up with different names of shops and that one caught my imagination. I thought it was brilliant.
“People drive past, they see the sign and they burst out laughing – people come and take photos, We get lots of publicity through the name.”
The Codfather in Canton is also one of the most famous chippies in Wales, having taken the name of the classic gangster film The Godfather and turned it on its head. You might not see Marlon Brando or Al Pacino heading in for a fish supper, but it regularly appears in the best fish and chips in Wales lists.
Another adaptation of that name is the Codfather of Sole which takes puns to another level, by paying homage to James Brown.
If music is more your thing, then one of the best pun-named businesses in Wales has got to be Bonny Tiler.
The family-run tiling business in Llantwit Major took inspiration from the Total Eclipse of the Heart singer for its name, calling it a “fun name for a company serious about making you smile”.
For those interested in shop names with animal themes, there’s Pampurred Pets Ltd based in Pugh’s Garden Centre in Morganstown which specialises in pet supplies and there’s K8’s Short Bark ’N’ Sides dog groomers in Whitchurch.
And among the best named beauticians and hairdressers you are spoilt for choice. There’s Skin ’n’ Tonic in Crwys Road, The Beauty Spot nail salon in Heathwood Road, Scissor Sister in Penarth and Fringe Benefits hairdressers in Llandaff North.
Special mentions have to go to the shops which don’t fit into any specific category including Crafty Sew and Sew shop in City Road and the bike shop Cyclopedia in Cryws Road.