True to form where my lot is concerned, we were a day late visiting Tyddyn Mon Pancake house, and instead visited on Feb 26th, although, this trip has certainly founded a belief that pancakes are for life, not just for shrove Tuesday!
We’ve lived on the beautiful isle of Anglesey for four years, and somehow have never visited this little gem, and given that tantrums and a very late working husband the night before meant this mum hadn’t actually had any pancakes yet, I was ready for my fill!
Tyddyn Mon is situated in the idyllic location of Brynrefail, Which was easy to find, and Google maps bought us straight to the car park itself, (which if you live on Anglesey you will appreciate what a gift that is, between the many back roads and random postcodes, Google often has us on a merry dance!!)
And what an absolutely freezing Wednesday morning it was! One of those where you could see your breath whilst arguing with the 15 month old who has discovered the “stiff as a board” trick when it comes to the car seat battle 🙄😂🙈
I was beginning to worry about having forgot my coat in the mad morning rush and sitting in the little cafe cold,which aggravates all my symptoms,but I needn’t have worried. Opening the door to the pancake house itself was like stepping into a tropical parallel universe it was so lovely,warm and cosy.
Before we had even sat down we were cheerily greeted by the ladies behind the counter, myself being the ridiculously socially awkward person that I am made a bee line for the toilet to avoid introductions and table choosing and left all that to the hubby🙈
The toilets were more than adequate for a relatively small establishment, three stalls so no awkward queuing for a single cubicle, toilet roll (always a winner but not always a guarantee in some places🙄🙈) sink,mirror, pretty much all you need from a toilet lol. But very clean, a theme which ran through the entire place, considering the day before, being pancake day, was one of their busiest I assume, there wasn’t a crumb in sight!
I returned to the table Jason had picked.. to find him strapping Alfie into a high chair, cooperating this time (although high chair=food unlike car seat so I’m sure that’s why!) There was already another family with a young child in a high chair, and along with the one we used there were two more waiting for others, all looked immaculate, all with the padded seats, five point harness and trays rather than the wooden death traps and their useless lap straps of some places. . . I was impressed, lots of big eateries often don’t have this many/quality and when your trying to have a meal out with little ones it really can make all the difference!
Hubby then disappeared off to the toilet, and ever the impatient, I braved taking Alfie to the counter and ordered drinks with the bubbly and friendly Sarah, who quickly alayed the most part of my social awkwardness and soon had me chatting away as if talking to a old friend. The equally friendly Kerry could be seen busily working away behind the counter, and Dafydd came over to fuss over Alfie, the whole place had an atmosphere that put me at ease, and that’s not something that happens very often!
Once pancakes were ordered we nattered away at the table, trying to remember what we talk about when there’s not four kids running riot to referee, but Alfie was getting a tad restless.
You’ve got about a five minute window before the cooperation of strapping into the high chair evaporates into a “where’s this food I was promised” meltdown. . . But before I had even fished through the changing bag in the hope of uncovering a cracker or random stuffed bear lurking along came Dafydd with a box of Mega Blocks, turning mini mr’s frown upside down and avoiding that awful scenario of it being your kid kicking off whilst everyone’s attempting to enjoy a nice meal, which would’ve set my anxiety off no end!
The main event itself, the pancakes, were to die for! Such a variety to chose from, from pancakes to crepes, fruit, chocolate or savory options. . We paid £5.20 for my husband’s “special stacker maple syrup and smokey bacon” which he was delighted to be able to order from their dairy free options (otherwise. . He’d have just spent the morning watching me stuff my face😉😂)
I went all out and had the three stack chocolate special, covered in chocolate sauce, topped with a variety of my favorite chocs and served with cream for just a little over £6, which we felt were really reasonable prices,especially given the portion sizes!
The attention to detail, for again what comes across as a relatively small establishment, was above and beyond. From having sweetners as well as sugar available at the cuttlery stand, to catering for and providing gluton free, vegan, dairy free and diabetic special pancakes, definitely made it somewhere we would visit again! Being a chef, hubby was instantly taken with their being signposted and specific/separate cooking/storage areas for the gluton free cooking, something many huge kitchens / restaurants don’t have. The toys to keep the children entertained, the choice of cosy comfy seating by the fire or a table and chairs, and Sarah coming over to offer Jason more maple syrup about halfway through, everything was thought of!
Jason finished all his pancakes, but I think I had eyes bigger than my belly and even sharing a huge chunk with Alfie (who was in pancake heaven!) I didn’t finish mine. . Whilst we were there I didn’t see a children’s menu available, which was one of the things we discussed in the car on the way home in terms of revisiting(no doubt my big boys would finish off a three stack like Jason but I don’t think scarlett could). However i did ask the question via email when we got home and was told they’ll happily make up smaller portions which is normally charged at around half the price.
We then headed out of the pancake cafe itself and ventured next door to test drive their new soft play area. Again everything was squeaky clean, and I think it’s obvious Alfie had a blast. The signs recommend the play area isn’t suitable for children over the age of five and I think that’s spot on. It was just the right size for Alfie age 16 months to rampage through, and even though he’s STILL not walking🙄 he was able to navigate around and use the slides etc. (Check out our Instagram video from the 26th for a mini tour!) The soft play area was completely free, so long as you purchase from the cafe, which again is brilliant, and your welcome to do the soft play before or after your cafe trip (which, in retrospect before may have been a better option as I was definitely feeling the onset of a food coma). The play area almost fills the whole room as you walk in, which meant I sat on a crash mat cradling my food baby whilst Jason chased Alfie round having the time of his life. I’m not sure whether there’s the potential for a couple of folding chairs or stools to be put in along the one side, but then that would only really apply if there was more than one parent with a child anyway, as otherwise you’d be with them playing. . . I was probably just feeling sorry for myself having gorged on chocolate delishness🙈
There’s also so much more to see outside, sadly the weather didn’t lend itself to us exploring too much further, but we could see the outdoor play area, the chickens, willow figures and statues, all in beautiful surroundings.
There’s disabled access, and disabled toilets including a baby change station,with padded changing mat and nappy bags etc.
What makes this place so very special though, is that it is a registered charity (reg charity no.1072035) which for over 30 years has supported adults with learning disabilities,providing them wiki care and guidance, encouraging them to live happy and independent lives.
Based on their 35 acre farm, their facilities and training at Tyddyn Mon help to improve confidence, skills and provide valuable work experience. The farm and pancake house is open to the public Tuesday-Saturday 10-4.
And if you fancy more vibe just a day trip, their new build self catering holiday accommodation can sleep up to 16 people, including specially adapted rooms for guests with disabilities. Only a 10 minute walk from the award winning Lligwy beach, it’s also perfectly situated to explore all that Anglesey and the surrounding area has to offer.
It almost made the visit taste even sweeter (pun intended!) knowing that our visit and experience was supporting these special members of our community, and providing them with valuable life experience.
All in all, the best pancakes we’ve ever tasted, in the most beautiful surroundings, with all the facilities and attention to detail you could wish for, along with the best customer service experience from every single person we encountered!
We will be back!
Organised_Chaos4kids 