A 106-year-old store has been given a new lease of life as a cafe owner has taken over the business.

Tŷ Cemaes has been a store in Cemaes village since 1922, when Abraham Meurig Humphreys grew from a boy behind the counter of the ‘Emporium’ to take over the family business until his retirement 73 years later.

After a rocky few years for Tŷ Cemaes, hope recently came in the form of a successful cafe business owner who took up the challenge.

A successful Machynlleth cafe business owner Olly Cameron has opened the doors of Hermit Crab Coffee: Tŷ Cemaes, hoping to return the resource back to the local community.
A successful Machynlleth cafe business owner Olly Cameron has opened the doors of Hermit Crab Coffee: Tŷ Cemaes, hoping to return the resource back to the local community. (Tŷ Cemaes)

On 1 July, Olly Cameron of Hermit Crab Cafe in Machynlleth was given the keys.

She has already given Tŷ Cemaes a fresh lick of signature Hermit Crab mustard yellow paint and extended its opening hours, promising to keep the business open reliably for the residents who had come to rely on it.

Olly said on expanding her business: “I'm so pleased to be able to offer this vital resource.

“Cemaes has given me a wonderful welcome so far, and I'm really looking forward to developing Tŷ Cemaes back into the thriving community hub it once was.”

Over the last 100 years, the Emporium has been a grocer, grain merchant and post office - its new iteration, ‘Hermit Crab Coffee: Tŷ Cemaes’, brings Hermit Crab’s popular speciality coffee to the valley.

This news clipping from 1995 is now framed on the wall of Tŷ Cemaes.
This news clipping from 1995 is now framed on the wall of Tŷ Cemaes. (Tŷ Cemaes)

Olly has taken on several local young people as staff and extended its produce to offer more daily essentials, including Jenkins milk, as well as the higher-end products that were already on offer, aiming to reduce the need for residents to travel to Dolgellau or Machynlleth.

As well as reopening the cafe kitchen, Olly aims to host pop-up events at the venue, including evening meals and live music.

The newly appointed Powys County Councillor for Glantwymyn, Rwth Hughes, will also be hosting her surgeries in the store.

Tŷ Cemaes is open 9-5pm Monday-Saturday.