This week, for the first time since it reopened, we ate in the new Siop Nain café. It's had something of an internal makeover. Readers may recall that the previous proprietrix closed in September and entered what she called semi-retirement. (Methinks she is a little young for her state pension.) Since November 2nd, it's now been taken on by the woman who runs the adjacent card shop. The short order cook remains the same.
During the remodelling work
So, what's new? The two businesses previously run separately are now reunited, as they have been for most of the last 50 years. Better yet, they've removed panelling between card shop and café. This means that the café is visible from the shop and vice versa. It has lightened the café. (It also means that kitchen smells again permeate the card shop, of course.) The place has had a much-needed repaint, with brilliant white walls and dark wood beams. They've built a small bar area for coffees and teas. The lower room is much less cluttered.
The café wasn't busy but, then again, neither was the town...again
As for the menu, as you might expect with the same cook, it's very much the same as when occupied by The Candy Shack. The choice is reduced a little, perhaps concentrating more on what is popular. It's certainly a vast improvement over the stale Siop Nain offer of old.
Re-emerged is this older sign previously an external fixture at Siop Nain. It could do with a refurbishment to match the interior
So, Siop Nain is again one business. We understand that the card shop proprietor was keen to ensure that the café would not again fall into the hands of an inappropriate proprietor like it did when it briefly became Rupert's No. 6. That interlude lasted between April and July 2018.
Next door Leonardo's will not be happy. But Siop Nain pre-dates them by at least 30 years and it has only been latterly that Leonardo's has morphed from delicatessen to café. We don’t yet know the hygiene rating for Siop Nain but as at the time of writing Leonardo's remains at zero, which should tell you all you need to know.
