Duck & Dough café, which is close to the entrance to Brynmill Park, has become a welcoming gathering place for local people.
To seal its place in peoples’ memories, there’s a huge mural of flying ducks on the new-look building.
The building, owned by Swansea-based property developer Peter Loosmore is being operated as a café and community hub by proprietor Mr Freitas. Upstairs, there’s new residential accommodation.
The transformation was supported through Swansea Council’s Transforming County Anchor Placemaking Grant which is funded by the UK Government through its Shared Prosperity Fund.
The support provides a co-ordinated package of grant funding opportunities, available across the whole county of Swansea, including for areas outside the city centre.
Peter Loosmore speaking about the new business said:
“We considered converting the entire building into residential space – but losing the commercial space didn’t feel right for this location.
“We thought there’d be demand for a cafe, given the high residential and student population nearby.”
Thanks to the support of the council’s placemaking team, the development retained its community-focused vision.
Mr Loosmore praised the team’s assistance throughout the process, particularly in helping to preserve the character of the building.
“Our proposals for a new shopfront and full upgrade of the space were well received. We’ve retained the character of the doorway while modernising the overall look.”
The new Marlborough Road commercial space found its ideal tenant in Duck & Dough, a Swansea-based bakery and coffee shop owned by Mr Freitas, who lives nearby. Mr Freitas specialises in making Portuguese-style pastel de natas and serving coffee and other drinks.
Max Freitas, talking about how his new venture came about said:
“I’m delighted to have taken this opportunity to run a new business that’s bringing pleasure – and a warm welcome – to local people.
“I started off by working with a few coffee shops around Swansea, like Mumbles Coffee, Sloth, Storm In A Teacup selling pastel de natas, and through working with these guys, it gave me the base to say to myself, one day I would like to do something.
“I was living in Uplands, and I used to teach martial arts at Swansea University, and one of the members lived on this road. Through that I saw the building, and thought, one day that could be a good place to open a shop. The idea was getting a place where the community in this area could come.
“We decided to paint a duck mural, as a reminder for everyone of the ducks nearby in Brynmill Park. That was the link. It’s a beautiful piece of work and has had a nice impact among the community.
“Some neighbours have already mentioned that when they were kids, they remember coming to an old bakery here.
“I would like to say a massive thankyou to the community because the support from everyone has been amazing, and I’m very, very pleased with that.
“We will be having nice coffees, bakes, pastries, sandwiches, probably pizza, something small, a few Brazilian things on the menu, and overnight oats that students can just grab and go, because there are around 3,000 students living in the area.”
Mr Loosmore described the match as ‘perfect’ for the community, noting that supporting local businesses was a key priority in the project.
“Max’s passion for homemade bakes and coffee aligns perfectly with what we wanted for this space – a local business that serves the community.”
Mr Loosmore also highlighted the unique and creative touch added to the property’s exterior. His wife, Natalie came up with the idea of incorporating duck motifs, inspired by family visits to Brynmill Park.
The concept was brought to life by Swansea-based Fresh Creative, and the result has been a hit with locals.
“The feedback about the new shopfront, the ducks and the overall transformation has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Max even named the shop Duck & Dough in honour of the design.”
Robert Francis-Davies, the council’s cabinet member for investment, regeneration and tourism, said
The Brynmill project was a perfect example of how our Transforming County Anchor placemaking grant can make a difference in city communities.
“It stands as a testament to the positive impact of grants like these. It’s not just city centre schemes that can benefit.
“This development shows how even small projects can make a big difference to the local community.”
Duck & Dough is now open and serving the local community, marking another success in Swansea’s ongoing efforts to revitalize its town spaces and support local businesses.
It can be found at 37 Marlborough Road in Brynmill, Swansea.
[Lead image: Swansea Council]
