Ice cream heaven in North Wales (Glaslyn Ices and Glandwr Cafe (Beddgelert))

Member Name: SusanLesley

Product:	Glaslyn Ices and Glandwr Cafe (Beddgelert)
Date:	02/06/09 (98 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gorgeous food at good prices

Disadvantages: Don't be silly!

I have just read a review by 'I am Joy' about the Glandwr Café and Glaslyn Ices in Beddgelert and, since it is one of favourite haunts in the summer, I thought I would tell you of our experiences there. We were there only recently when we travelled on the newly extended Welsh Highland railway from Caernarvon to Beddgelert. I have already written review of Beddgelert and the Welsh Highland Railway in case you want any further information.

Where is it?

Beddgelert is located in Gwynedd, North Wales. It is just off the A498 slightly north east of where that road meets the A4085. The postcodes begin LL55 if you want to put that into your satellite navigation system.

It is set on the banks of the River Glaslyn which then continues down the Aberglaslyn Pass to join the sea at Porthmadog.

Caernarvon is 13 miles from Beddgelert, Porthmadog is 8 miles and Betws-y-Coed is 18 miles away.

Beddgelert can be reached by car, public transport or the newly opened Welsh Highland Railway.

Beddgelert itself is a small village and the Glandwr Café and Glaslyn Ices is right in the centre.

The Glandwr Café and Glaslyn Ices

Effectively to the public the café and the ice cream shop are in two separate adjoining premises but these are joined in the food preparation area as the sundaes made with the ice cream are also available in the café.

Bothe café and the ice cream shop are open from about March until September each year.

Glandwr Cafe

Whenever we visit Beddgelert we always head to this café for lunch. The food is excellent, it is always freshly prepared and the prices are reasonable. For those of you who like to know about these things the toilets are always lovely and clean too! The whole place including the toilets is accessible to the disabled.

There is a small car park at the front of the café and another (paying) one just up the road. There is seating inside the café, at the front by the car park and at the back in a little garden. There is also a small seating area to the side of the café where there are easy chairs and newspapers so you can enjoy a coffee while you just chill.

They do a wide range of pizzas all available in three different sizes and they have three circles of cardboard pinned up on the wall so that you can see what each different size would look like. They also do jacket potatoes, salads, baps with chicken, bacon etc., sandwiches, baguettes, and full meals as well as a wide range of hot and cold drinks.

Dave usually has one of the pizzas and he really enjoys it, but my favourite has to be the bacon bap. I love my bacon well done and, in most cafes, although I ask for it to be well done I rarely get this. Here at the Glandwr they know how to cook bacon properly and I love it!

We always have a pot of tea with our meal and there is always plenty for at least two full cups each. They do a range of cakes and sweets which all look very nice but with the ice cream shop just next door I have never tried the cakes! As I said earlier there is a range of ice cream sundaes available in the café made using the ice cream from Glaslyn Ices but I like to actually visit the shop and choose my flavour(s) there.

Glaslyn Ices

Here they sell an amazing range of ice creams and sorbets all made fresh on the premises.

They usually have about 20 different ice creams available and about 6 sorbets. These are laid out in trays in the refrigerated counter, behind glass of course, so that you can look at them all and choose your flavours for the day's indulgence.

The flavours change regularly and whilst there is a nucleus of flavours always available - vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, fudge, mint, rum and raisin and more. There are also some 'different' flavours such as bubblegum, Raspberry Pavlova, Ferrero Rocher, Mango, Strawberries and Cointreau and Wild Cherry to name but a few.

The sorbets are usually lemon, raspberry, mango, melon and ginger and sometimes there is grapefruit or even pink grapefruit. I did ask once about the pink grapefruit and why it wasn't on sale very often and I was told that it is very difficult to make, but when it is there I can recommend it - it is wonderful!

If there isn't any grapefruit sorbet I usually have a double waffle cone with a scoop of honeycomb crunch and one of caramel fudge - ooh heaven!

You can have your ice cream in a standard cone, a waffle cone or in a tub with a spoon. The cones come in various sizes so that you can have up to four flavours at a time.

I'm afraid that I can't remember the price of the ice creams but they are certainly not expensive for what they are. You can even purchase ice cream in special large insulated tubs for you to take home. I have always resisted the temptation to this - so far!

Just to prove how good it all is there are framed certificates all round the shop showing the prizes that the ice creams and sorbets have won and every one is very much deserved I can tell you.

I think everyone who has come to stay with us since we moved to Llandudno has been here at least once and everyone has thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We have been three times so far this year and expect to go a few more times before they close for the winter.

If you want a bit more information they also have a website at http://www.glaslynices.co.uk/

Summary: Well worth a visit if you are in the area