A local shop

When we first thought of Wright's it was an idea we had had after visiting farm shops and artisan food shops in Wales, the UK and in Europe and Canada.

I envisaged a shop selling local fruit and vegetables, meat, good cheeses and charcuterie, our own bread and cakes.

We decided to have a few tables for the odd sandwich, bowl of soup or coffee and cakes but to be predominantly a local shop.

From day one in our first shop as Wright's in Nantgaredig it was busy and the cafe was more or less full every day for lunch with the shop being an attraction but the cafe being the main business.

Our move to Llanarthne cemented this change with a lot of dining space, I guess we were known for our restaurants so it was inevitable. Wright’s in Llanarthne was really all about the food day and evening and it was so busy! Who remembers the wait for tables at the front door with their names scrawled on the mirror?

Now, when eating out is positively discouraged in our no alcohol, Covid world, the shop has come into its own again. It's great seeing baskets full of produce being paraded around and for the cafe to have a casual (socially distanced) buzz.

Will we go back to those days?

We have decided we are going to close completely for a few weeks after Christmas to give us a chance to refresh and move into our new space properly.

We are getting used to this very controlled way of life, one which is very calm and worthy, but we do promise a Cubano weekender sometime in the new year.