Y Caffi Greenfield Valley Creates 12 Jobs and Draws Visitors, Wales 2026

Key Points

• Y Caffi, which is located in Greenfield Valley, Holywell, Flintshire, has generated 12 local jobs within the first six months since its operation began.
• More than 50 applications have been received following the café’s job application process ahead of its opening day.
• It has seen visitors from all parts of North Wales including Anglesey, as well as the North West and Midland regions.
• Carrie-Anne Jones is the manager of the café, while Sally Pritchard and Andy Jackson are the chefs of the establishment.
• The renovations were funded by UK Shared Prosperity Funding and made up a £493,629 project partly funded by UKSPF and Flintshire County Council.
• The café sources its produce from the local farms or grows some produce itself, which includes the use of apples, honey, and vegetables from Greenfield Valley and its allotments.
• There are plans for a winter menu, Fright Night event on Thursday, October 29, Community Wednesday events, dog friendly outdoor area, and a click-and-collect facility.
• Profits made by the café are ploughed back into Greenfield Valley for the maintenance and development of the site.

Wales (Wales Times) October 17, 2026 – A café at Greenfield Valley has created 12 local jobs and attracted visitors from across North Wales and beyond during a successful first six months of trading, according to the Rhyl Journal.

Y Caffi, also known as The Café, reopened at the 70-acre heritage attraction and has quickly become a regular stop for families, walkers, runners and dog owners. The business reported a busy summer and a positive start to autumn, with managers now preparing for the winter season.

As reported by the Rhyl Journal, café manager Carrie-Anne Jones said the first six months had been “incredible”. She said the café had already developed a base of loyal weekly customers, alongside dog walkers, runners, walking groups, families and visitors travelling from other parts of North Wales and further afield.

“We’ve had people from Anglesey, the North West and the Midlands, and what I love most is that it’s becoming a real community hub,”

she said.

Ms Jones, who lives close to Greenfield Valley with her family, grew up visiting the site and later brought her own family there. She has spent much of her career in hospitality and retail, taught herself to cook and had long wanted to run her own café.

“To now be running the café is a dream come true,”

she told the Rhyl Journal.

Who works at Y Caffi at Greenfield Valley?

The growing team includes young people gaining experience in barista work, customer service and hospitality. Chefs Sally Pritchard and Andy Jackson lead the kitchen, while Carrie-Anne Jones manages the café.

Ms Jones thanked colleagues Angel Smith, Conrad Jones and Alun Jones for their support as the business established itself.

Interest in working at the café was strong before it opened. More than 50 people applied for positions following an open recruitment event held ahead of the launch, according to the Rhyl Journal.

The recruitment process and subsequent job creation have given the café a role beyond food and drink service. The business said its young staff members were developing practical hospitality skills, including customer service and coffee preparation.

Why was the Greenfield Valley café refurbished?

The café refurbishment was supported by UK Shared Prosperity Funding, commonly known as UKSPF. It formed part of a wider £493,629 programme backed by UKSPF and Flintshire County Council.

The investment supported the reopening of Y Caffi at Greenfield Valley, a heritage attraction covering 70 acres near Holywell. The café has since become part of the visitor experience at the site, serving people attending the valley as well as local residents.

Greenfield Valley trustee Conrad Jones said the café was delivering what the organisation had hoped it would achieve.

“Y Caffi is delivering exactly what we hoped it would – creating jobs, giving young people the chance to develop new skills and providing a welcoming place for visitors and the community,” he said, as reported by the Rhyl Journal.

He added that the response since opening had surpassed expectations and praised Ms Jones and her team for their work.

“Carrie-Anne and the team have put their heart and soul into it, and that is reflected in the response from customers,” he said.

What food is served at the Greenfield Valley café?

The café serves homemade food and customer favourites, with its offer now shifting towards seasonal produce for winter. Ingredients include apples, honey and vegetables grown in Greenfield Valley and at its allotment.

Ms Jones said using produce grown at the site was particularly important to the café’s identity.

“Being able to use ingredients grown here in the Valley is really special,” she said.

“We want the menu to reflect where we are and the seasons, while still offering the homemade food and favourites our customers enjoy.”

The seasonal approach is intended to connect the café more closely with its surroundings and with the wider Greenfield Valley site. The business has not announced a full winter menu, but said locally sourced and homegrown ingredients would feature in the new seasonal offering.

What community activities does Y Caffi offer?

Y Caffi is open seven days a week and runs a Community Wednesday initiative. The sessions include a community cuppa, puzzles and book swaps, and are intended to create a regular meeting point for people in Holywell and surrounding communities.

The café is also supporting a programme of community events at Greenfield Valley. One of the next events is Fright Night on Thursday, October 29, which will include pumpkin soup, spooky sweet treats, games and decorations alongside family-friendly activities and evening sessions across the park.

The café’s community role has been a central part of its early performance. Ms Jones said the business was becoming a place where different groups of visitors and residents could meet, whether they were attending organised events or calling in during a walk.

What plans does the Greenfield Valley café have next?

Plans include a new sheltered dog-friendly outdoor area and a click-and-collect service. The café said the delivery option followed interest from neighbouring business parks, passing tradespeople and workers.

The site already offers free accessible parking and wheelchair-friendly facilities. The planned outdoor area would extend the café’s provision for dog owners, who have been among its regular customers since reopening.

The café has also pointed visitors towards Greenfield Valley’s wider plans, including a 10-year plan for the heritage attraction. Information about café services is available through its website and social media channels, while details about the valley and its events are available through the Greenfield Valley website.

Greenfield Valley is also seeking new trustees. Interested applicants have been directed to an online form for further information.

How will café profits support Greenfield Valley?

Profits from Y Caffi are reinvested into Greenfield Valley. Trustee Conrad Jones said every coffee, meal or cake purchased at the café helps support the care of the site and its wider future ambitions.

“This was always about much more than opening a café,”

he said.

“Profits are reinvested into Greenfield Valley, so every coffee, meal or cake bought here helps us care for this incredible site and supports our wider ambitions for its future.”

The statement indicates that the café is intended to operate as part of the heritage attraction’s long-term sustainability model, rather than solely as a standalone food business. The reinvestment approach links customer spending directly to the maintenance and development of the valley.

Mr Jones said the organisation wanted to build on the momentum created during the summer and early autumn.

“After a fantastic summer and start to autumn, we are excited to build on that momentum through into winter and give people even more reasons to visit,”

he said.

Background of the development

Greenfield Valley is a 70-acre heritage attraction near Holywell in Flintshire. Y Caffi reopened at the site after a refurbishment supported by UK Shared Prosperity Funding and Flintshire County Council as part of a wider £493,629 programme.

The café was established with a community-focused purpose. Its recruitment event attracted more than 50 applicants, and the business has since employed 12 people from the local area. Its management team is led by Carrie-Anne Jones, while Sally Pritchard and Andy Jackson lead the kitchen.

Since reopening, the café has developed a customer base that includes local residents, dog walkers, runners, walking groups and families. Visitors have also travelled from Anglesey, the North West and the Midlands. The business has used its location to source ingredients from the valley and its allotment, while supporting community events and weekly social sessions.

Prediction: What could this mean for Holywell and local visitors?

For local residents in Holywell and surrounding communities, the café’s early performance suggests it may become a more regular meeting place, particularly through Community Wednesday and seasonal events such as Fright Night. The planned dog-friendly outdoor area and click-and-collect service could further increase its use by families, dog owners, workers and people visiting nearby business parks.

For jobseekers and young people in Flintshire, the creation of 12 roles and the reported development of barista, customer service and hospitality skills may provide additional local employment opportunities. If visitor numbers continue through winter, further demand for staff, seasonal produce and community events could follow.

For Greenfield Valley itself, reinvested café profits may support the upkeep of the heritage site and its longer-term plans. The café’s performance could also encourage more visitors to spend time at the attraction, particularly if the winter menu, outdoor facilities and events help maintain footfall during quieter months.