Beloved Pontypool cafe becomes doggy friendly with new name

The well-known café at Pontypool Active Living Centre in Pontypool Park, formerly known as Pontypool ALC Café, has recently completed a remarkable transformation, unveiling its new identity as the Epicure Coffee Co Café.

In celebration of this exciting chapter and the new connection with man’s best friend, the café partnered with the canine travel platform, Dog Furiendly, for a memorable free event on Saturday, October 21.

With 30 enthusiastic dog walkers in attendance, the group dog walk took place at the picturesque Pontypool Park on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

The 45-minute stroll was followed by a delightful 'Yappy Hour' at the café, where attendees and their furry friends enjoyed homemade doggy biscuits and special offers on hot drinks and cakes.

As an extra treat, everyone received a complimentary goody bag filled with goodies from Burns Pet Nutrition.

The Lead the Way team are part of Dog Furiendly's nationwide initiative to find a doggy community all over the UK (Image: Lead the Way)

This group dog walk was part of the Burns Pet Nutrition ‘Lead the Way’ scheme, a nationwide initiative run by Dog Furiendly.

The scheme aims to create a sense of community among dog owners by organising group dog walks in various locations across the UK.

Dog Furiendly is always on the lookout for enthusiastic group walkers in local areas to join in the fun and help build vibrant dog-loving communities.

There was plenty of fun had by furry friends on their walk! (Image: Adele Pember)

Managing Director of Just Perfect Catering, the company behind Epicure Coffee Co Café, Louise Owens, has always been passionate about creating welcoming spaces for dog owners. As a dog owner herself to Jack Russell Benji, she knows first-hand the challenge of finding pup-friendly venues.

She said: "At Just Perfect Catering, we've made it a mission to infuse a culture of dog love and community into every café we operate. Epicure Coffee Co is no exception; it's a haven for humans and hounds alike."

Local entrepreneur and creator of Dog Furiendly, Adele Pember said: “I created Dog Furiendly because there was a real shortage of dog-friendly places here in Cwmbran and Pontypool. Today, it's a platform visited by millions nationwide!"

She continued: "Pontypool has always been close to my heart, so seeing Epicure Coffee Co embrace the dog-loving community in such a big way feels like coming home. The turnout for our group dog walk in Pontypool was fantastic, and it's heart-warming to see the local community come together for our furry friends.

“We hope to organise more regular group walks in the local area, giving dog owners the chance to explore beautiful places like Pontypool Park with their dogs."

For future events and opportunities to join group dog walks, dog owners are encouraged to visit the Dog Furiendly website.