A new business in Aberystwyth had such a successful first day that it had to close early. Carys Volpe told the Cambrian News how overwhelmed she was by the support she received last Thursday (11 January), when she opened the doors to her Sicilian café for the very first time.

She had a steady stream of customers all day and sold out of her delicious homemade food by 3pm.

The appropriately named Carys’s Angolino (little corner in Italian) is on the corner of Cambrian Place and Union Street in Aberystwyth.

Opening the café is a new venture for Carys who has been running a pop-up stall at Aberystwyth farmers market and local festivals for the past four years.

Carys, who grew up in Parma, Italy, and whose father is Sicilian, is a Michelin trained chef. Her focus is now to introduce Sicilian street-food to Aberystwyth, her trade mark being arancini, not forgetting her delicious Tiramisu pots!

Mother of two Carys moved to Aberystwyth in 2018 to be close to her Welsh Mum and family.

“I’m so excited for my new venture,” says Carys.

“I can’t wait to offer, on a regular basis, my produce and high-quality local coffee and pastries. Supporting local producers for me is essential.”

Helping her at the café for the first month are Carys’s sisters Sara and Meryl.

“Sara is a pastry chef who has just finished working in Barcelona,” Carys explained.

“She is working here for a month and then she if off to work in Norway.

“Meryl is an osteopath and has just finished working in New Zealand. She is also here for a month and will then move to Bristol.

“I will be advertising for staff soon to replace them.”

The Cambrian News visited the new café on its opening day and witnessed the moment Carys sold out of most products.

“It is only 3pm and I was going to stay open until 6pm but we have run out of most things,” said Carys.

“Today has been very, very busy and successful.

“I have had amazing support from the locals.”

Carys has worked in a restaurant and run her own catering business.

“After eight years in the restaurant world I decided to go to Wales to try something new and bring Sicilian street food to Aberystwyth," said Carys.

“I didn’t have a lot of money so I started with a van and went to street food festivals and farmers markets.

“That was in 2019.

“Then I met my partner and had a child and Covid hit. I had to rethink the business and how to work around a child so I started doing takeaways from our home in Penrhyncoch, whilst also still attending Farmer's Markets.”

Now 30-year-old Carys is putting all her experience into her new business venture, serving a range of items including coffee, croissants, arancini, pizza, quiche, foccacia, from a permanent site.

“I make everything myself which is why I am only opening Thursday-Saturday at the moment,” said Carys.

“I need the other days to prepare the food.

“I am finding my feet at the moment but I am ecstatic about the future and looking forward. I am also a bit worried, and I hope it works out.

“I am trying to offer something a bit different to locals and visitors and I am doing that by starting little and slow.

“I would like to say a big thank you to everyone for their support.”

The café is located at the corner of Cambrian Place and Union Street and is currently open from 9am-3pm on Thursdays and Fridays and from 9am-6pm on Saturdays, but if Carys’s first day is anything to go by, it’s worth getting there early before the food runs out.