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."
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The Cellar Door, Holy Cheesus and Rogue Fox café are a short walk away at Clytha Park Road in the city, which traders hope will become a hub for independent locally-sourced food and drink. You can stay updated with new businesses arriving in Newport by signing up to our Newport newsletter here.
"It's a place for lots of quirky bars," Mr Karran said. "That's why I was excited when this came up. It seems a perfect location because it's right on the cusp of town and the residential area and there is nothing close to it doing what we are going to do.
“As a café and taproom customers will be able to sample beers on site, as well as enjoy a hot beverage and light food. We feel that such a venue will be a good fit for the area, as there are a number of complementary businesses within walking distance.”
Mr Karran apologised for his conduct at the end of last year after he sent a text message to a customer who had provided her number for Track and Trace purposes. He issued a statement in December saying he was “sorry for letting down the community” over the text. He said it's something he now hopes he can "move on from".
He says business has suffered this year at a "very challenging time". "I won't lie, it's been a really tough few months," he continued. "There has been Covid that we've got through and then it's cost of living, people's habits have changed.
"But my attitude is you can either batten down the hatches or come out fighting. I think what we're going to do is going to be a really positive step. I'm not retreating."
He says he hopes the new bar will be a community hub as well as a taproom. “We will aim to create an atmosphere that will encourage customers to meet and chat with one another,” he added. "We want people to go away with great memories and having met some new people. That's what I've always wanted.
“We have a venue already in Cardiff (...) which has a proven track record of being a benefit to the local community, not a nuisance. We feel that opening this second venue on Baneswell Road will be a positive and exciting step for both our business and the local area.”
Inside the new Newport base will be a seated bar, café and retail area with fridges and shelves of beer in cans and bottles along the wall. There will be seating for around ten people in the centre of the room.
Towards the back of the premises will be a bar and fridges containing pre-prepared food. The lower ground level will be used for extra seating - around 20 covers.
There was one objection to the plans relating to the impact on existing businesses in the area. “Allowing another food business near us will make a massive impact on our trade,” they said.
The council officer’s report said “should permission be granted, any potential harmful impacts can be controlled via the use of a condition restricting the opening hours of the business”. They also noted that a separate premises licence would be required for the sale of alcohol.
The planning committee approved the taproom provided it will open only between the hours of 10am and 11pm from Sunday to Thursday, until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 6pm on Bank Holidays.
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