A MUCH-LOVED Anglesey café is celebrating a century of welcoming customers through its doors - with its current owner describing it as a “privilege” to look after such an important part of village history.
Ann’s Pantry in Moelfre first opened in 1926 and has become a familiar part of village life for generations of residents and visitors.
The café serves everything from hot chocolates and afternoon teas to Moroccan tagines, with its breakfast, lunch and children’s menus offering a real taste of the best North Wales has to offer.
The produce is sourced locally and seasonally whenever possible, with dishes including Cwt Mwg smoked salmon produced just along the coast in Dulas, as well as artisan bread and cakes baked on the premises. The majority of the menu is homemade too.
Local legend states that the original owner was able to get hold of chocolate during wartime rationing, which made the café extremely popular, while post-war, when Sunday drinking was banned, the café was said to have served beer in teapots.
The name honours the café’s founder and it is understood there have been two Anns in the venue’s history.
The café has been owned and run by Laura Pritchard Griffiths since 2003, when she took on the historic business and began a new chapter in its long story.
Although Laura, 46, did not grow up in Moelfre, she has strong family connections to the village; both her grandfather and father were once the village butchers.
Laura, who is married to Ed, who runs The Panton Arms in Pentraeth, said: "Reaching 100 years is incredibly special. Very few independent cafés get to celebrate a centenary, and it's a privilege to be looking after such an important part of the village's history.
"I'm very conscious that we are simply the current custodians of something that means so much to so many people.
"Over the years we've welcomed generations of the same families through our doors.
"It's lovely hearing people say they first came here with their grandparents and are now bringing their own grandchildren."
Laura runs the café with support from a "fantastic" team and her wider family.
Prior to taking over Ann’s Pantry in 2003, Laura was running Caban Laura in the beach car park, which has grown into what is now Anglesey Ice Cream.
"When Ann's Pantry came up for sale, I saw an opportunity to build on what I was already doing," Laura said.
"I felt the café had so much untapped potential because of its history and its location in the heart of the village. I could see ways to refresh it while respecting what people already loved about it, and I was excited by the challenge of helping it become everything I believed it could be.
"Looking back now, I could never have imagined that we'd be celebrating its 100th anniversary."
Talking about the responsibility of carrying something on with so much history, Laura said: "It's a huge responsibility, but also a real privilege. Every decision you make has to respect the past while making sure the business is still relevant for the future.
"You want people who've been coming for decades to still feel at home, while also giving first-time visitors a reason to come back.
"The secret to keeping a café like this going is consistency.
"It would be easy to try and reinvent everything, but I think the reason Ann's Pantry has stood the test of time is because it knows what it is.
"We've modernised the building, refreshed the menu and moved with the times, but we've never tried to become something completely different.
"People come because they know they'll get a warm welcome, good food and a familiar atmosphere.
"Hospitality is about making people feel comfortable, and that's something that never goes out of fashion."
The café is also very much a hub for the village of Moelfre, with Welsh learning groups meeting there regularly, including Sgwrs a Panad, as well as the Moelfre Mermaids swimming group.
It also hosts regular sell-out themed supper club events and is home to gift shop Flore, which offers a handpicked range of gifts, from cards and clothing to books, jewellery, toiletries and a wide range of Welsh language items.
Laura works with her brother and his wife running several ice cream parlours in the area, as well as the much-loved café at Traeth Bychan.
Laura and Ed also have a holiday let business in Moelfre.
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