Open seven days a week and a stone’s throw from Uplands, Bluebell is a family-run coffee shop & restaurant based in the Tycoch/ Sketty area of Swansea.
Run by Sophia and her brother Tim Joannides, the business, which opened in 2017, serves freshly cooked breakfasts; brunch & lunch dishes all made from scratch with a nod to their Greek heritage in their open plan kitchen.
Sophia manages and runs the front of house, and is one of four children born to a Cypriot father and Greek mother.
She has spent a large majority of her life living in Mumbles in between her travels to Australia and Thailand where she learned more about the hospitality industry.
Family is massive to Sophia who is mother to Hudson [lead picture, with Tim, right] and plays a large part in the setup of the cafe’s ambiance.
“I love being around people,” explained Sophia.
“Being Greek, it is part of our lives growing up with food, drink and entertaining people.
“The whole name Bluebell came from when we were driving in the car and saw all the bluebells out. It’s fresh, friendly, and has that connection to our childhood home.
“We wanted something homely and connected to us around the time of year. They used to grow in our front garden in Mumbles.
“We love that Bluebell has the feel that it is an extension of our home. It is us inviting you into our dining room.
“We added the coffee and kitchen onto it, and we wanted to serve really good coffee and really good food.
“We wanted to have a revamp. I feel that is so important when you have an independent cafe to show off your personality and style.
“The new menu is something that we wanted to do for a while because our Greek heritage is important to us and because it comes from the heart.”
The business has something for everyone’s taste, from meat-eaters to vegetarians and vegans. Sophia’s continental menu inspired by her Greek heritage is bursting with the Mediterranean feel-good factor.
Across all the menu selections, produce show a preference where possible to local and organic offering. Dietary needs are also catered for with gluten-free products also available.
The premises also have a fully licensed bar from noon serving a variety of delicious wines, draught beers, ales, and spirits to cater for all occasions.
“In this day and age, it is really important to make sure the food looks nice because you do eat with your eyes, but you also do have to follow it up with the right flavour,” continued Sophia.
“Lots of places I have been to have been to the food looks amazing and when you take a bite it doesn’t meet that level of expectation. So, it needs to look and taste as good too.
“The presentation is important. We talk about it in the kitchen of how it is going to look. There have been a few tweaks from March to where we are now as we want to make everything perfect.”
As I tried a sample of some of Sophia’s signature dishes the first thing you notice is the time and effort put into the presentation.
Each dish is visually worthy of a high-end restaurant and is great value for money with its generous portioning.
The explosion of fresh and tasty flavours particularly in the Souvlaki is a delight to taste and is balanced perfectly leaving you wanting more.
“No-one ever leaves here hungry,” smiled Sophia. They want to take some things away to feed people up.
“There are always going to be some people that say that is too expensive, but we have tried to hit the right price point for what we are offering.
“The chefs come in super early to get all the baking done and that all comes at a cost and is represented in the prices we have.
“The Souvlaki is a dish we love as a family as is really popular in Greece.
“We also have the different breakfasts with a twist, they have homemade patties, potatoes, and halloumi included.
“The one you tried was the ‘Spartan Feat’ which is for the meat-eater.
“When you go to a Greek home you are always offered food whatever time of day. Even if you have been out for food and go back to the family home, you will be offered something hearty and flavoursome.
“The ‘Zeus Bowl’ which is a vegetarian/vegan dish [is also popular]. It can be made to order and is important to us that it caters to different diets.
“Then there is the ‘Yia Yia Delight’ which pays homage to my mother’s side of the family. Her Grandmother used to sell Loukoumades which were sold from the window in Greece to make money.
“It is like a fruit doughnut which is traditionally soaked in honey, cinnamon, and syrup. It comes in a sweet or savoury version.
“Also, on the menu we wanted to pay homage to the fact that we are in Wales and have ‘Brechdan’ or ‘Buttys’ which is the equivalent of sandwiches in Welsh.
“We also have kid’s options; we are very family-oriented and are open to people of any age. It’s a really homely fun menu.”
The cafe also offers a bespoke ‘afternoon tea’ and caters for special occasions with the venue offering hire of the premises for up to 100 guests for celebrations such as birthdays, engagement parties, baby showers, anniversaries, small wedding receptions, and provides homemade buffets.
“We open till four o’clock for business, but if there are parties, they can book the venue from five until 11 which then includes the use of all our staff.
“We have had customers who have come here since we have first opened to now, they have brought their kids here. We have seen them grow up over the years.
“Some have had their baby showers here and have brought their babies in groups. We have done them with up to 50/60 people as we have a good size space for that.
“Sometimes people come in just by themselves and we can do an afternoon tea for them or tea for two. With 24hrs notice, we can also cater for vegan and gluten free guests as well.
“This Sunday we have a group of 20 ladies coming in for a baby shower.
“They have a certain area and have gone for an afternoon tea buffet option where it is nicely laid out and they can help themselves to scones cakes and sandwiches.
“You can also have the stand option if you want for a more high-end feel.
“We bake celebration cakes, wedding cakes that can be made by our chefs for different occasions like birthdays and family gatherings.
“We also put on for corporate events and cater for various external buffets that can be priced for things like wakes where we can do bespoke, traditional, or Greek-style spreads.”
With one thriving businesses under her belt, will we be seeing another Bluebell open around Swansea? Sophia says not for now but that’s certainly a possibility for the future.
“Before COVID it was always the plan was to have more Bluebells with one maybe like a little cake shop.
“The pandemic changed everything, and we thought let’s focus on what we have got.
“It is such a good place with the community and regulars that it may be a case of expanding from here with the events and catering for now.”
Bluebell Coffee and Kitchen is located at 17-18 Carnglas Road, Sketty, SA2 9BL
Opening hours: 8:45 – 4pm Monday – Saturday – 9:45 – 2pm Sunday
Website: Bluebell Coffee & Kitchen | MENUS | Restaurant Swansea | Swansea
Instagram: Bluebell Coffee UK (@bluebellcoffeeuk) • Instagram photos and videos
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[Lead image: Sophia Joannides]
