Stephen Nottingham's Food Blog: North Canton

Friday 11 January 2013

North Canton

We are in Canton, Cardiff, beside the statue of Billy the Seal in Victoria Park. From the north-eastern edge of Victoria Park, start walking along Romilly Road West. We will be walking down Clive Road, past the One Mile Bakery, and through Thompson’s Park.

On your left at the junction of Romilly Road West and Clive Road:

One Stop
95 Clive Road CF5 1GL (2022 9725)
One Stop Stores are a chain of ‘corner shops’ owned by Tesco. This one opened in 2010. The site was previously occupied by an off-licence.

At the junction, turn right and walk down Clive Road in a southerly direction. On your right:

Waffle
63 Clive Road CF5 1HH (2034 3087)
This Coffee Shop on the corner with Ethel Street is, not surprisingly, renowned for its waffles. It usually serves breakfast, baguettes, soups and cakes, in addition to sweet and savoury waffles. Manager Victoria Morgan is sister to Pat Morgan, member of Welsh band Datblygu who were formed 30 years ago. An exhibition of band memorabilia is currently on display in the café.

Further down, on your left:

John’s Fish Bar
54 Clive Road CF5 1HH
“Cod almighty”, it proclaims in the window, "Fresh haddock in the Valley". The takeawaysulike.co.uk database lists 43 fish and chip shops in Cardiff, but not this one. Thanks to Rhys, who commented below, I now know why!

The Duke of Clarence
48 Clive Road CF5 1HJ (2037 8033)
Brains-owned pub built in Victorian times and refurbished in 2003. Cardiffpubs.co.uk notes that it won a Community Pub of the Year award in 2004 and a Family Pub of the Year award in 2005. This lively locals’ pub serves classic pub food, has a carvery for roast dinners on Sunday, and incorporates the D.C. Coffee Shop. There’s a skittle alley/function room and a beer garden out back.

If you continue down Clive Road you’ll be back on Cowbridge Road East, near the Zero Plus Fish Bar. Turn around; back at the junction with Romilly Road West and Romilly Road go straight across. Walk up a slight hill, take a right into Syr David’s Avenue.

Walk along to the end of this road and enter Thompson’s Park. You will have walked past the One Mile Bakery, a bread subscription scheme operated by Elisabeth Mahoney from her home (it’s not a shop, so don’t disturb her).

One Mile Bakery
Syr David's Avenue CF5 1GH
The One Mile Bakery is so named because it delivers bread, soup and preserves to addresses within a one-mile radius of Elisabeth Mahoney’s kitchen (i.e., Canton, Pontcanna and Llandaff). Everything is made in her kitchen using seasonal produce and traditionally-milled organic flour. It is a bread subscription service, so customers pay in advance. Prices range from £11 a month (including mid-week delivery) for classic loaves, to £25.50 a month for a package that includes sourdough bread, soup and preserves. She used to deliver everything herself, but this is now done by Harry, who lives around the corner, on his new bicycle.

Elisabeth currently bakes around 50 loaves a week, which she says is about ideal for her size of operation. The subscription scheme currently has a waiting list. Sourdough loaves are varied through the month, with the addition of seeds, nuts and fruit. The soup comes in large compostable containers; this week’s soup was carrot, ginger and clementine juice (there is usually a meat or vegetarian option). I can personally vouch for the blueberry and lime jam, which I am enjoying on a slice of wholemeal sourdough as I write this. It’s marmalade-making time soon.

Elisabeth also runs baking and cookery classes in her kitchen (Google the bakery’s website for further information). On the day I visited (10 Jan), the Food Hygiene Rating inspector had visited One Mile Bakery for the first time.

It is appropriate that a new bakery is operating on the edge of Thompson’s Park. This park was once a private garden belonging to the Thompson family, who owned Spiller & Co - one of the largest flour milling companies in Britain. The family presented the park to the City of Cardiff in 1924.

You will have entered the upper part of Thompson’s Park (St David’s Field) from the end of Syr David's Avenue. Follow the path down into the lower ornamental garden. Here, you’ll find a Green Man carving and, in the centre of a pond, a bronze statue of a boy holding a butterfly (a copy of John Goscombe John’s ‘Joyance’).

Exit the park at the nearby gates to Romilly Road (park currently closes 4pm).

Almost opposite is Radnor Road, down which, on the corner with Pembroke Road:

Pembroke Mini Market
82 Pembroke Road CF5 1QP
Convenience Food store.

Back on Romilly Road:

Llanover Arts Centre
Romilly Road CF5 1FH (2063 1144)
Llanover Hall is a thriving Arts Centre, with pottery and art studios, a theatre, and galleries. It has a first floor café, serving coffee, snacks and lunches on weekdays. Louise makes great soups when she’s in the kitchen. The café is a focal point of the building, for relaxing and socialising between classes. A brand-new kitchen was installed last year, after a poor inspection rating. I regularly do life drawing, portraiture and pottery here.

Stephen Nottingham's Food Blog

Friday 11 January 2013

North Canton

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