AT WORK WITH THE PENYLAN PANTRY

 When The Penylan Pantry opened its doors just before Christmas last year, it was met with great excitement from the foodie community, and this blogger, in particular. The deli is the work of Melissa and Jolene, who both spent many years traveling the world and became inspired by the idea of organic, seasonal and freshly made food. When not at the world's farmers' markets, Jolene was working as a roadie caterer for Sir Paul McCartney and Melissa was traveling and growing her passion for seasonal food.

I spoke with Melissa about the evolution of The Penylan Pantry and what it brings to the Cardiff food scene.

What made them choose Cardiff as a location:
"We both love Cardiff as a city. We did, however, feel a little frustrated at the lack of good foodie hubs. We often traveled to other cities around the UK and the world visiting such businesses, these places excited us and we would often wonder why there were no such places in Cardiff, it is the capital city of Wales. There is a demand for these types of businesses.

72 Kimberly Road is one of the most beautiful shops in Cardiff and in one of the prettiest areas of Cardiff. In my opinion, it is perfect for a business that champions local producers, the community and good service."

The ethos of Penylan Pantry
"Our ethos is to provide good quality food that is produced locally with no air miles, that shouts about Welsh produce and considers the impact that our business has on the world. We've tried to bring a little of what we've seen worldwide to Cardiff.

We want people to be able to pick up good quality produce at an affordable price, to have access to healthy products as well as local treats, and to be able to sit, drink, eat and relax. Service is important to us, we aim to provide a friendly and personal atmosphere - there is no excuse for bad service."

One year from now:
"In one year we hope to be an established part of the Penylan community, offering more of our ideas and working on evolving the Pantry constantly."

"Cardiff is full of people who are passionate about food, health, the environment and quality local produce."

You can follow Penylan Pantry on Twitter here.