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North Wales Chronicle
a day ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
TASTE TEST: Anglesey's Monuts will leave you wanting more!
Mr Holt's has been described as the island's very own answer to the Willy Wonka factory. The popular business is owned by Richard Holt, a former pastry chef and star of S4C's pastry programme Yr Academi Felys (The Sweet Academy). Over the years, he has run the chocolate factory and café at the former mill at Melin Llynon, near Llanddeusant, and has crafted a popular Siocled range of Welsh chocolates. He has also designed a unique range of Anglesey-branded donuts - nicknamed 'Mônuts', which I, my wife and my son, recently embarked on a journey (of just half an hour or so) to try out. Now, it's worth noting at this point, that there are a lot more things you can do while you visit the Melin Llynon site - from an escape room to a model safari. But, as we were doing a flying visit, we simply stopped for some Monuts and sat by the old mill itself in the sunshine. The location itself is somewhat out of the way on the island, out in the sticks of Llandeusant. But, once you get there - particularly on a hot day like when we visited - it is certainly a lovely spot to sit down at. You're greeted by the historic Melin Llynon mill which dates back to the 1700's. The wonderful Melin Llynon. (Image: Newsquest) We walked in to the Mônuts section and were left impressed by the vast array of delicious options on offer. The Wonka-style hats, which visitors can take a picture with, were a nice touch also. There really was something for everyone to enjoy doughnut-wise with almost any possible flavour you could think of being available to buy. We opted for four doughnuts - Jammy dodger, luxury chocolate, school cake and caramel drizzle - and also bought a chocolate milkshake and a vanilla milkshake. That came to a total of £29.70, which is rather steep, but as a one-off treat cannot be whinged about, particularly as what we bought turned out to be very enjoyable. Also, as they're all hand-crafted by the team themselves, it is of course always great to support a local business where possible. TOP STORIES TODAY Job vacancy is advertised for manager at the new Wylfa site on Anglesey Historic estate set to provide helicopter landing pad for Bangor hospital We sat down at the benches on site to drink our lovely milkshakes and feed a, by then, very hungry one-and-a-bit-year-old some snacks before taking our doughnuts over to my mum and dad's house to share with them. Every single Mônut was wonderful in it's own right, with the jammy dodger one being a sweet toothed person's dream and the school cake option giving me a trip down memory lane to my younger years. My favourite though was the caramel drizzle as it was packed full of flavour. All four doughnuts were more than big enough to justify the price, and I'm glad we decided to share them between the four of us. My mum and dad agreed with us that they were well worth buying and they made for a nice afternoon treat while we caught up with family. I'd certainly go back to Melin Llynon in future to get my hands on another box of Mônuts. And the good news is that Mr Holt will soon be expanding his business' production with the opening of a new factory, supported by more than £250,000 in funding. I can't wait to see what other gems he produces in the months and years to come.
North Wales Chronicle
07-05-2025
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
Famed Anglesey chocolatiers open new chocolate factory
Chocolatiers Mr Holt's has received a loan of £150,000 from the Development Bank of Wales, £84,000 from Bathgate Business Finance's own funding book, Bathgate Capital, and a further £30,000 brokered by Bathgate from a specialist funder. This will enable the company to expand chocolate production with a newly refitted factory at nearby Llangefni. The business is owned by Ricchard Holt, a former pastry chef and star of S4C's pastry programme Yr Academi Felys (The Sweet Academy). He has run the chocolate factory and café at a former mill at Melin Llynon, near Llanddeusant on Anglesey, and has crafted a popular Siocled range of Welsh chocolates, along with a unique range of Anglesey-branded donuts - nicknamed 'monuts'. Owner Richard Holt. (Image: Development Bank of Wales) New and improved machinery will allow Mr Holt's to meet rising demand, with the company having recently received a Royal Warrant to supply Buckingham Palace. Richard is confident that the new factory, which boasts more floor-space than the former production facility at Melin Llynon, will allow the business to get its chocolates out to more hungry chocoholics than ever before. This is the second time the business has received support from the Development Bank, following an initial loan of £30,000 in 2019. Richard said: 'We've seen so much success in the last few years, and we wanted to make sure we could answer that increased demand by building up our capacity and taking on newer, bigger production premises. "The new factory in Llangefni is exactly what we needed, while also allowing us to keep making chocolate locally and retaining important jobs on Anglesey. 'We're so pleased with the support we had from the Development Bank of Wales and co-investors Bathgate – it's allowing us to expand our operations at exactly the right time.' Andrea Richardson, senior portfolio executive at the Development Bank of Wales, said: 'It was a pleasure to work with Richard and the team at Mr Holt's. READ MORE: Serene Anglesey location attracting visitors across the globe 'Most Northerly dental practice in Wales' sold to growing group "They have a distinctive Welsh brand with a popular product, and their unique chocolates get mouths watering across the UK and beyond. 'We're proud to have supported them as they look to rise to new opportunities thanks to their rapidly growing profile. "We wish them the very best as they continue with their future plans.' Tracey Hamilton, BDM from Bathgate Business Finance, said: 'Richard, his family and his team of chocolatiers have created an excellent product that is already a Welsh gifting staple and in huge demand further afield too. 'A great deal of creativity and imagination has gone into developing confectionery brand, and the factory site into a fantastic and engaging attraction too, with a chocolate factory-themed escape room and activities to attract visitors to the area too. 'Richard has not only developed a unique and delicious product, but he has also created jobs for local people and delivered affordable luxury for his customers. "We wish Richard and the whole team the best of luck and we'll certainly be tucking in to Mr Holt's treats to celebrate!' The Development Bank Wales loan for Mr Holt's came from the Wales Flexible Investment Fund. It offers finance for deals between £25,000 and £10million, with loans, mezzanine finance and equity investments available. The £84,000 finance from Bathgate Business Finance, comes from its own funding book, Bathgate Capital, which hit a landmark £5million in capital lending in March 2025, the highest in the company's 34-year history.
Business News Wales
01-05-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Welsh Chocolatier Scales Up with New Factory and Funding Boost
Wales' answer to Willy Wonka is expanding production with the opening of a new factory, supported by a £150,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales and £114,000 from Merseyside-based co-investors, Bathgate Business Finance. Richard Holt, owner of chocolatiers Mr Holt's, is a former pastry chef and star of S4C's pastry programme Yr Academi Felys (The Sweet Academy). He has run the chocolate factory and café at a former mill at Melin Llynon, near Llanddeusant on Anglesey. He has been crafting a popular Siocled range of Welsh chocolates, along with a unique range of Anglesey-branded donuts – nicknamed monuts. A loan of £150,000 from the Development Bank of Wales, £84,000 from Bathgate Business Finance's own funding book, Bathgate Capital, and a further £30,000 brokered by Bathgate from a specialist funder, is now enabling Richard to expand chocolate production with a newly refitted factory at nearby Llangefni. New and improved machinery will allow Mr Holt's to meet rising demand. Richard is confident that the new factory, which boasts more floor-space than the former production facility at Melin Llynon, will allow the business to get its chocolates out to more hungry chocoholics than ever before. This is the second time the business has received support from the Development Bank, following an initial loan of £30,000 in 2019. Richard said: 'We've seen so much success in the last few years, and we wanted to make sure we could answer that increased demand by building up our capacity and taking on newer, bigger production premises. The new factory in Llangefni is exactly what we needed, while also allowing us to keep making chocolate locally and retaining important jobs on Anglesey. 'We're so pleased with the support we had from the Development Bank of Wales and co-investors Bathgate – it's allowing us to expand our operations at exactly the right time.' Andrea Richardson, Senior Portfolio Executive at the Development Bank of Wales, said: 'It was a pleasure to work with Richard and the team at Mr Holt's. They have a distinctive Welsh brand with a popular product, and their unique chocolates get mouths watering across the UK and beyond. 'We're proud to have supported them as they look to rise to new opportunities thanks to their rapidly growing profile. We wish them the very best as they continue with their future plans.' Tracey Hamilton, BDM from Bathgate Business Finance, said: 'Richard, his family and his team of chocolatiers have created an excellent product that is already a Welsh gifting staple and in huge demand further afield too. 'A great deal of creativity and imagination has gone into developing confectionery brand, and the factory site into a fantastic and engaging attraction too, with a chocolate factory-themed escape room and activities to attract visitors to the area too. 'Richard has not only developed a unique and delicious product, but he has also created jobs for local people and delivered affordable luxury for his customers. We wish Richard and the whole team the best of luck and we'll certainly be tucking in to Mr Holt's treats to celebrate.' The Development Bank Wales loan for Mr Holt's came from the Wales Flexible Investment Fund. It offers finance for deals between £25,000 and £10 million, with loans, mezzanine finance and equity investments available. The £84,000 finance from Bathgate Business Finance, comes from its own funding book, Bathgate Capital, which hit a landmark £5 million in capital lending in March 2025, the highest in the company's 34-year history.
