THERE’S a lot of risk opening new hospitality businesses in this day and age, however this new café in Barry might have discovered the perfect balance to be successful.
Jack’s Café, on Holton Road, opened on September 11 in the unit that used to be Butty Bach and new owner Martin Irwin is bringing his expert culinary experience to a more accessible level.
In other words, Jack’s makes a GREAT breakfast. The meat is quality assured, the eggs are fresh, the portion size is large, but the price small – you’ll get the 'big breakfast' for under £9.
Then, on the other side of the menu is the impressive katsu burger, or the afternoon tea – with the cakes baked in-house.
Mr Irwin, 37, has extensive cheffing experience at sophisticated establishments.
He was part of the team that launched Pier 64, now the Deck in Penarth, and he also re-booted the famous Cricketers near Sapphire Gardens when it re-opened after Covid.
Impressive CV, but the point about Jack’s is it’s making quality food and bringing it to a café setting – don’t worry, you don’t have to put on a blazer and be a member of the club for this “fine dining” experience.
Instead, come on in of a morning, or for brunch or lunch, take a seat at the table and get a cup of tea, or freshly roasted coffee and enjoy a fry-up at the caf.
The caf also has an edge – described as breakfast orientated, but also specialising in American style ‘big’ – big burgers, big hotdogs – and the menu will change with seasonal options.
‘I want to work for people around here’
In Barry, terms like “community café feel” and “quality but causal” are very much at home with the vibe on Holton Road.
Jack’s Café is the culmination of 25 years hard graft in the kitchen for Mr Irwin.
Finally, he has his own venue and, in a heartfelt touch, after all that time – he dedicated the name to his son.
“I was looking for something close enough to home so I would not be spending all my time travelling,” says Mr Irwin, of Penarth.
“Because I want to be open for breakfast I need to be here early. This place came about and we put a lot of love into it to bring it back to scratch.”
Mr Irwin shouts out his dad for working long hours to bring the ol’ Butty Back back to standard.
While he’s happy to admit he’s ambitious, always looking for the “next level”, Mr Irwin doesn’t forget who he’s here to serve, saying the most important customers (and critics) are the ones on his doorstep.
“I’m not opening this trying to get people to travel from afar,” said Mr Irwin. “I want to work for people around here.”
Let’s see what they think.
Jack’s Café is at 24 Holton Road. It opens from 8.30am to 3pm Monday to Saturday.
Jack’s is introducing an Afternoon Tea session which can be pre-booked at £24 for two people.
Did you try Jack’s? What did you think of it? Let us know in comments or on our Facebook page.
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