A well-known Cardiff pub landlord is to open a bottle shop, café and taproom in Newport city centre after his plans for the venue were approved by the city council's planning committee. James Karran, owner and director of The Tiny Pub Company which runs St Canna’s Alehouse in Cardiff, says he plans to turn 18 Baneswell Road - currently a tattoo parlour - into a retail outlet selling bottles and cans of alcohol.
St Canna’s, which was established in 2017, featured in Cardiff’s best 14 pubs in the Campaign for Real Ale’s Good Beer Guide in 2022. Mr Karran’s Llandaff Road based company will now look to sell 100 different types of beer from the Newport site which Mr Karran said will be primarily from independent Welsh breweries. The company's new Newport site will be in addition to St Canna's.
On his new venture, Mr Karran - originally from nearby Magor - said he can't wait to set up the taproom, which he hopes will be in Newport by the end of September. "I've always had a soft spot for Newport, which was my stomping ground growing up," he told WalesOnline. "But there is plenty going on there and Newport is up and coming and deserves nice things. I thought it would be a great place to try something like St Canna's."
