Cresci'S Cafe Ynysybwl

Breakfast, home cooked dinners, coffee, tea, take way, eat in, free delivery, burgers, fish, chips, lasagne, gammon, ice cream, snacks, cakes, pies, pastie

Cresci`s Cafe was established in 1905 by Giovanni Cresci who at the age of 14 made his way from a little village called Grezzo which is situated in Bardi Italy .

The story goes that Giovanni and his two brothers had very little money so the villagers donated what little they could to help the brothers on their way. The women of the village took their coats and removed the linings to stitch money into the coat before re-stitching the lining to conceal the money .

The brothers set off across Europe earning money doing whatever they could to keep going, they worked aboard the ship for their passage to Dover then walked from Dover to Gwaun Cae Gurwyn earning money on the docks or the pits or picking potatoes. They would look for work houses to work for food and often sleep rough under bridges.

They finally made enough to obtain a property to turn into a business and after years of pooling their money together the brothers split to find their own place. . . my Great Grandfather found and fell in love with Ynysybwl .
He bought a property in Robert street and opened a sweet shop on his own. After a time alone he decided it was time to find a wife so he travelled back to Italy to meet a lady that our family had found for him. . . he married her and brought her back to Ynysybwl she couldn't speak any English and like Giovanni she couldn't read or write.

After a few years in the sweet shop a salesmen visited one day and was offered a free homemade ice cream but he said he would love a cup of tea instead. . . . my Great Grandmother Margarita thought to herself "That's an idea" and Cresci`s Café Ynysbwl was born.

The couple went on to have 4 children who were all christened with Italian names but Giovanni insisted on calling them by the British version of the names out of respect for his new country .

Louisa (louise) , Lorenzzo (Lawrence) Maria (Mary)
Antonio (Tony ) who was also known as Tom.