A NEW addition to Capel Bangor was introduced to its residents earlier this year and is continuing to make a breathtaking difference to the community.
Since opening the doors to the village of Capel Bangor, ‘Exchange Stores’ has made a significant impact in the area, and is the first shop in the village for 23 years.
A small village approximately five miles from Aberystwyth, Capel Bangor hosts tourist attractions such as the Tynllidiart Arms public house and a chance to travel on the seasonal Vale of Rheidol Railway.
Daniel and Melanie Hughes, owners of Exchange Stores in Capel Bangor, took the time to speak to The Herald about their new venture and what people can look forward to when they visit: “We’re a village store, and we hadn’t had a shop in the village of Capel Bangor for 23 years. We sell everything you would expect from a village shop, such as groceries, and we sell a lot of local produce. We also sell homemade sandwiches and homemade cakes.
“We open our grill everyday and we cook breakfast baps and food up until 2pm for people who want to grab something to eat when they are passing through.
“The Exchange Stores building is over 100 years old and was successfully run as the village stores by many local families over the years. The last village shop here sadly closed its doors 23 years ago, but now the Exchange has been brought back to life and is once again serving the local community.
“Having a shop like this in Capel Bangor has been so excellent, I don’t know how to put in to words. The local community have been so pleased about the shop opening. As a resident of Capel Bangor myself, I knew how limited we were for shopping and drove to Aberystwyth for every time we needed things like milk or bread.
“People have come into the shop and told us that having the shop has changed their life, and for the first time in many years, people have been able to get the daily paper and even fresh meat. It really has had a massive and positive affect on the local community, and it’s also a central focal point for people to meet each other in the village.
“We opened on March 23 and our local Councillor, Rhodri Davies, came and opened the shop. All of the locals turned up and had a full shop, which was lovely.
“We have been lucky with regards to having support as the caravan park, just down the road from Capel Bangor, has been amazing to us.
“For the future, we are thinking to improve and expand the food that we prepare and serve because that is really popular. Local farmers, tradesmen and even the local people enjoy coming and we offer breakfast as well as burgers at lunchtime at the moment.
“In the winter, we are hoping to expand that and serve hot sandwiches, cawl and even homemade soup. We will also continue to serve local produce to our customers. Seasonally, we’re going to be doing a lot of things, especially around Christmas time, which I’m really looking forward to, in order to make it a great shopping experience.
“The village does not have a Christmas tree so this year, my husband and I have said that we will make sure we will get a nice Christmas tree and put it outside. Now that we have somewhere which is a focal point for people to meet, it would mean a lot to people.
“We encourage everyone to visit our shop to try the homemade pies, cakes and Welsh ice-cream, which are all a huge draw, and we even stock the Pelican Bakery bread.
“We would also encourage people to come and support other local businesses at Capel Bangor through shopping at our store.”
To keep up to date, you can follow ‘Exchange Stores’ on Facebook at ‘Exchange Stores, Capel Bangor’.
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