New pub for capital city – press release

Welsh brewing and pub entrepreneur Simon Buckley is set to open a new traditional pub in Cardiff. It's the first traditional pub to be built in the city for 25 years.

The £1million development in the former RAFA club in Cathedral Road will open on Friday July 17.

The building has undergone a major redevelopment and represents a significant investment in the capital city for West Wales-based Welsh Estates Ltd and the Evan-Evans Brewery.

Mr Buckley, 51, was responsible for the development of the Cayo Arms in Cardiff in 2000. The pub was voted one of the top 50 pubs in the UK after its launch.

The new pub in Cathedral Road will be called Y Cadno (The Fox).

Mr Buckley said: "Y Cadno has seen the transformation of the former RAFA club into a traditional Victorian-style pub, with modern touches.

"The pub has a unique 'sun trap' garden and will focus on serving the very finest Welsh produce.

"Y Cadno will be the Cardiff home of our award winning Evan-Evans cask ales and will offer a selection of seasonal and core brands.

"This will be a pub for real ale lovers with strong emphasis on selling only the very best Welsh Ales.

"The food will be sourced locally and our head chef David Humphreys will make Y Cadno an award-winning gastro pub.

"The emphasis will be on real food, real ale and being a real pub. There are no other pubs in Cardiff with a garden like ours.

"This will be a pub people want to go, for good fun, good service and excellent ales."

Welsh Estates Ltd runs pubs and hotels throughout Wales.

Evan–Evans brewery is based in Llandeilo, West Wales, and produces award winning cask ales, for the Welsh and wider UK markets.

Mr Buckley is a sixth generation member of the Llanelli's world-famous Buckley family and now heads up leading West Wales Brewer Evan-Evans.

Earlier this year, the brewer launched a new quality real ale bottled beer, called, appropriately Cwrw – which is, of course, the Welsh word for beer.

Cwrw is already an award winning cask ale and Champion Best Bitter of Wales. The bold ambition of Mr Buckley and his team is to make it the new National Drink of Wales.

Members of the Buckley family have brewed in Wales since 1767.

The brewing heritage of the Buckley family stretches back to the early 19th century after the Rev James Buckley married the eldest daughter of Henry Child who had founded Childs Brewery in Llanelli.

It was set up to slake the thirst of the town's tinworkers, who were rapidly increasing in numbers.

The clergyman's 18-year-old namesake James Buckley is today part of the seventh generation and each one before him has been directly involved in the industry.

His father, Simon, was the last Buckley to brew at Llanelli before moving to London in 1984.

Buckleys Brewery had the distinction of being the only Welsh brewer to hold a royal warrant. In 1991 it became Crown Buckley when it was taken over by a subsidiary of Guinness. It was sold to Brains in 1997 and the Llanelli Brewery closed a year later.

Evan-Evans was founded in Llandeilo in 2003 and began brewing in 2004.

It is named after William Evan-Evans, who married into the family four generations ago.

Evan-Evans has a reputation for brewing the highest quality cask-conditioned beers.

Evan-Evans is Wales's largest specialist brewer of cask ale.

Press release issued by Robert Lloyd on behalf of Simon Buckley.

Contact: Robert Lloyd, 84 New Road, Llanelli, SA15 3DT, telephone 01554 757600 or 07777 683637 (mobile). Email: rlloydpr@btinternet.com