About Bodnant.
The Bodnant Estate is owned by Lord Aberconwy, Michael McLaren and family. The famous Bodnant Gardens, which surround the Aberconwys' house, are run by the National Trust and include the longest and oldest Laburnum Arch in the UK.
Bodnant Welsh Food was opened in 2012 by Prince Charles after European grant money was received to convert it from a derelict set of farm buildings, on the Estate, into a beautifully restored food centre, restaurant, cookery school and holiday cottages.
Unfortunately the Centre went bankrupt under the owners of Bodnant Estate in October 2018. The buildings are still owned by Bodnant Estate but the business is now owned and run by the Reynolds family.
The new owners of the business run 5 other cafes in the North West
and are passionate about food! They wanted to create a place in The
Conwy Valley that can be enjoyed by everyone with a large selection of
produce from local suppliers, as well as many homemade artisan
products. The Farm Shop has a bakery, deli and butchers. The cafe
serves hot food from 10.00am every day and is a great place to go after
your class for a coffee or for lunch!
The room we will be in for our
Wellness classes is called the The Pochin Room. It is on the first floor, directly above the Farm Shop and can be accessed via the back of the shop or through the Hayloft Restaurant entrance.
The room is named after Henry Pochin, great
great grandfather of the current owners of Bodnant Estate.
In January 1875, Henry Davis Pochin (1824-1895) purchased the Bodnant Estate. Mr. Pochin was a Victorian industrialist and chemist, who made his fortune by the invention of a process for clarifying rosin to produce coloured soap, and also the development of processes for the production of china clay from Cornwall. He became involved in various businesses and was for a period also an MP.
He also designed the famous Laburnum Arch!
Read more about this extraordinary man and the beautiful Bodnant Estate that covers much of the Conwy Valley, one of my most favourite places on earth!
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/bodnant-garden/features/henry-pochin-of-bodnant-garden
