Siop Shop

Head to this Welsh-inspired daytime cafe for “gwasanaethau coffi a thoes”, or coffee and pastry services – listed on Facebook as a “donut shop”, but offering a little more on the sweet treats front, including a number of specials, plus a few baked savoury snacks.

Born out of Blawd Bakehouse (“blawd” being the word for flour in the Land Of My Fathers), which saw everything from carrot cakes to celebration cakes created in Common’s basement, Siop Shop is the brainchild of Lucy Jackson and partner Iwan Roberts. Mostly, output is doughnuts – vanilla ring doughnuts, cinnamon-dusted doughnuts, lemon, elderflower and lavender iced doughnuts, rhubarb and custard fingers, chocolate hazelnut fingers, long-form doughnuts topped with lemon or passion fruit meringue, even a polka-dotted ube (purple yam) and mango number and a bright pink rose, raspberry and pistachio creation. Everything is homemade, including the fillings, and the doughnuts are so light and fluffy you may be tempted to go back for more – it’s a really long prove of 24 hours that gives them the Siop Shop texture. Seasonal specials have included Love Hearts-inspired sweet treats for Valentine’s, “hot cross buns” for Easter and shamrock shapes for St Patrick’s Day. There’s even been a nod to former Common stablemates Nell’s Pizza, with limited-edition lemon-infused sugary slices inspired by the Do You ‘Roni Honi?, while French Fancies have also been known to be on the pass, as well as churros-style twists.

Siop Shop have also dabbled in savoury offerings, including the veggie patty smuffin and slow-cooked pork brecwast bun, cheddar and leek fritters and sausage puff puff, although it’s mostly coffee and cakes, and who can argue with that?

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