Victorian-style café is a real North Wales find with the 'best pies I've ever tasted'

Reggie's Artisan Bakery and Kitchen on Chester Street opened on September 4, 2023, the same day the Tour of Britain came to Wrexham. The bakery is literally adjoined to Ty Pawb, so parking is handy via the multi storey car park.

Owner, Richard Sonner has worked in the catering business since he was fifteen years old, mainly occupying roles in gastro-eating or fine dining. In 2003, he decided the time was right to open his own bakery, and renovated the building, previously run as EmzCakes, which closed down in December 2022.

Richard has done amazing work with the property, as it has been completely stripped and redone in order to bring out the Victorian features of the building, something that drew him into buying the property in the first place. The café looks absolutely stunning with its antique furniture, hearths and green flowery wallpaper.

READ MORE: Why I love this popular, sprawling 'destination' store on Anglesey

READ MORE: New bakery and coffee shop opens in North Wales pub and there's an instant clamour for one product

The attention to detail is a real head turner with features such as Beatrix Potter rabbits, fine art and real bone China plates and cups. The small menu offers sandwiches, toasties and savoury pies although there was a specials board above the stove and hearth with full dinner and breakfast brunch options with Welsh dry cured bacon and Stanley Jones sausages and toasted bloomers.

My wife went for a roast beef sandwich, which was served with home pickled onions, horseradish sauce, mayonnaise and rocket. You could tell that Richard had a past in fine dining as this was no ordinary sarnie.

It was filled with slices of delicate rare roast beef, sweet picked onion with a hit of a fiery horseradish sauce. The combination was fantastic and went well with a side of coleslaw and crisps. Other posh sandwiches on offer included fresh poached salmon, gammon ham or a ploughman’s special.

I couldn’t resist trying the ‘Year of legends” award winning Crogan pie. This pie was inspired by local history. The battle of Crogen took place in the Ceiriog valley close to Chirk Wrexham in 1165. The pie contains local Welsh lamb with apricot and mead. Folklore suggests that the two princes, Owain Gwynedd and his brother Cadwaladr feasted in victory against an English invasion with these glorious Welsh ingredients.

The pie contained slow braised shoulder of lamb in a delicious apricot and mead sauce encased in a rich flaky short crust pastry. The melt in your mouth pie was one of the best pies that I had ever tasted and I have eaten a lot of pies. If lamb isn’t your favourite filling in a pie, then there were plenty of other choices including homity pie, chicken and ham or steak and ale.

Sides to go with your pie included crisps and coleslaw, dressed side salad, sauteed new potatoes, crushed minted peas or cider and apple braised cabbage for around £2.95. We noticed some delicious looking cakes dotted around the café. Some were placed underneath plastic cake covers on top of antique furniture whilst some were in an old glass Cadburys display unit under the counter.

There were choices such as chocolate fudge cake, lemon sponge, carrot and walnut or double choc brownies all vying for your attention along with the various trinkets on display. As you can imagine, there was an extensive drinks option with various teas, coffees or dark chocolate and Marimba Brazilian melts on offer. My wife went for a frothy cappuccino whilst I went for a thick indulgent creamy hot chocolate.

This small Victorian style café is a real find with some of the best pies I have ever tasted coming out of their small but attractive open kitchen. Reggie's now offer outside catering for both hot and cold food with various hampers also available to the lucky folk of Wrexham and the surrounding area.

The Facts

Roast Beef £7.50

Crogan Pie £7.50

Cappuccino £3.10

Hot Chocolate £3.10

Total £21.20

Opening Times:

Monday to Saturday, 9am to 4pm

Atmosphere- Victorian splendour

Car Parking- Ty Pawb multi storey car park.

Disabled Access- Limited room inside the small café.

Service- Table service, calm and attentive.

Overall- The artisan bakery with some of the best pies I have ever tasted.

Reggie's Artisan Bakery and Kitchen

45 Chester St,

Wrexham

LL11 8BA