Chance to buy town’s much-loved bakery

FAMILY BUSINESS DATES BACK TO 1918

A POPULAR Pen Llŷn cafe and bakery which dates back to World War I is up for sale.

Located in the heart of Pwllheli in the middle of the high street, Gwalia is referred to as “the best bakery in town” on Trip Advisor, where it also has a five-star rating.

But the business has actually been up for sale on and off for 10 years

The history of the bakery dates back to 1918, when it was transformed from a temperance house into a tea room by Wallis Gruffydd.

While the structure of the building and the homely feel and decor of the place hasn’t changed much, the menu certainly has since the time when a “coffee and biscuit or cigarette” was available to order.

In 1960, the building and business were then taken over by Glenys and Robin Pritchard, who later became known simply as “Robin Gwalia” and, along with their two children, Eric and Sifian, they began living in the flat upstairs.

Speaking fondly of those early years, Sifian said: “The front shop was half the size that it is now and the cafe was twice the size because it was so busy.

“Eric started working here when he left school and when he got older became a partner with my parents.

“They put everything into the business, a lot of hard work.

“I was a beautician at the time and I had worked on cruise ships and in America but when I returned I came back to help Mam. That was around 1994.

“She didn’t retire herself until she was 80!

“So many of the staff we have here now have been with us from the beginning – one of the bakers, Gareth, has been here since he was 14 and Mair, who was the cook but now works in the shop, has been here for 30 years.

“Three or four of our staff members are on their pension, but they don’t want to leave.

She jokingly added: “It seems everyone else is struggling to keep staff and I can’t get rid of mine!”

While the cafe is a staple business in Pwllheli, it’s not just those who live there that adore Gwalia.

“We have visitors who have been coming to Pwllheli for years just to see us,” Silfian added. “It’s lovely to see.

“We’ve had so many people tell us how they used to visit when they were children, and now they come with their own kids.

“There was a time when it was the only cafe in the town and we were very busy. We do still have our regulars but it has died down a bit and times have changed.”

Having been successfully running as a shop and cafe for decades, things changed for the family when Covid hit in March 2020 and they were forced to close.

The pair, who had been working six days a week for as long as they could remember, suddenly had more time on their hands than they knew what to do with.

“It was strange at first,” Silfian said, “but after a while I didn’t want to come back. It made me realise that there is more to life than just work, and while we’ve had great times and have been very successful, I knew it was time to slow things down.”

The cafe hasn’t reopened since the start of the pandemic, and the shop is now closed at weekends.

“We’ve done so much over the years that we want to enjoy some freedom now too,” Sifian said.