A NEW café has opened in Newport, Pembrokeshire, bringing Caribbean flavours to the seaside town — with affordable bed and breakfast accommodation also planned for the near future.

Ty Bert Caribbean Kitchen has opened in the former youth hostel at the old school on Lower St Mary Street.

The venture is being run by Newport local Roberta James, who hopes to reopen the building’s five bedrooms as budget accommodation as soon as possible.

The café, which opened earlier this month, serves Caribbean dishes including jerk chicken, barbecue pork belly and goat curry, alongside more traditional options such as baked potatoes, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, cold drinks and cake.

Roberta said the idea began after she responded to a Facebook post by Newport Town Council asking what the hostel, which had been closed since Covid, could be used for.

Soon afterwards, she was putting together a business plan and submitting it to Pembrokeshire County Council, drawing on her family’s background in catering and hospitality.

“I wanted to bring it back as a hostel but also have a place for the community and somewhere to use for events and groups,” she said.

The Caribbean theme was inspired by a holiday to Antigua.

Roberta said: “I am a foodie and I loved the food there. It was simple and flavoursome.”

She is recreating those flavours with the help of her friend Jason, who is from the Caribbean.

Box meals are available to eat in or take away, with protein mains served with rice, potato, coleslaw and salad for £12.95.

“The menu is perfect for families or for people that like a bit of spice and something a bit different,” Roberta said.

Customers have already been taking meals down to the beach or Parrog, while those eating in can use the downstairs café seating or a large family-friendly room upstairs, complete with big tables and board games.

Roberta said: “The response has been really good. We have had a lot of the locals coming in. They have been really supportive.

“During the Easter holidays we had tourists coming in. They really enjoyed having something different and reasonably priced.”

Ty Bert Caribbean Kitchen is currently open from Friday to Monday, from 12:00pm to 8:00pm, with plans to open on Thursdays later in the season. Diners are also welcome to bring a bottle with their meal.

Roberta said she hopes to open the hostel as soon as possible. Painting parties have already been held to freshen up the two dormitory rooms, two double rooms and one family room.

She is now waiting for Pembrokeshire County Council, which is leasing the property to her, to repair the boiler.

Roberta said transforming the former hostel into boutique budget accommodation, while creating the café, had been a real community effort, with friends and local businesses pitching in.

“There have been lots of lovely people in the community offering to help,” she said. “They want us to succeed, which is really nice.”

More information is available on the Ty Bert Facebook page.

MORE than 100 candidates standing in next week’s Senedd election have signed a pledge in support of Palestinian rights, including backing calls for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel.

Palestine Solidarity Campaign Cymru said 115 candidates had signed its “Senedd Palestine Pledge” so far.

The signatories include 46 Green candidates, 37 Plaid Cymru candidates, eight Liberal Democrats, six Labour candidates and five independents.

The pledge commits candidates, if elected, to “take all appropriate steps” to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people, oppose what PSC describes as Israel’s crimes of genocide and apartheid, and ensure the Welsh Government is not complicit, including through support for the Palestinian-led call for boycott, divestment and sanctions.

Prominent candidates listed by the campaign include Wales Green Party leader Anthony Slaughter, former Senedd Members Mike Hedges, Sioned Williams, Llyr Gruffydd, Sian Gwenllian and Heledd Fychan, former MP Beth Winter, and Rob Griffiths of the Communist Party of Britain.

PSC Cymru said the pledge was particularly relevant under the new closed proportional list system, where voters choose parties or independent candidates rather than individual party candidates.

According to the campaign, the pledge has been signed by two Labour, three Liberal Democrat, ten Plaid Cymru and 12 Green first-placed candidates.

The organisation said the issue had direct relevance to the Senedd because of concerns previously raised over Welsh Government funding linked to companies involved in the F-35 fighter jet supply chain.

Bethan Sayed, co-chair of Palestine Solidarity Campaign Cymru, said: “Reaching 100 pledges is a milestone. It is a clear message that Palestine is on the ballot in this Senedd election.

“Wales has always aspired to be a nation that stands on the right side of history, a globally responsible nation that holds human rights and international law at its heart. These 100-plus candidates are giving real meaning to that aspiration.

“Support for Palestinian rights stretches across every community and every constituency in Wales. Polls show public backing for this issue. Voters will be watching closely to see who has the conviction to stand with them.

“To those candidates who have not yet signed: the time to act is now. This is a test of moral leadership. We urge every remaining candidate to sign the pledge before polling day.”

DYFED-POWYS POLICE cyclists will ride 75 hilly miles across Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire next week in a first-of-its-kind charity event for the force.

Around 35 riders will take part in The Chief’s Tour on Wednesday (May 6), raising money for Care of Police Survivors (COPS), a charity which supports the families of police officers and police staff who have died on duty.

The route will begin at St Mary’s Church in Fishguard at around 8:00am, before heading south through Pembrokeshire to Tenby and finishing at police headquarters in Carmarthen. The ride is expected to take between eight and 11 hours.

The event will also commemorate officers and staff who died while serving with Dyfed-Powys Police.

Chief Constable Ifan Charles said: “This event is a moment for communities, Dyfed-Powys Police, and families to come together to remember officers and staff whose lives were sadly cut short – and ensure their memory lives on.

“It would be fantastic to see people showing their support along the route, and we welcome cyclists to join us along the way.”

Scheduled stops will include St Mary’s Church, Fishguard, at around 8:00am, Newgale beach at 9:40am, Narberth Road layby in Tenby at 1:45pm, and Cana Cemetery, Banc-y-felin, Carmarthenshire, at 4:05pm.

Mr Charles added: “It was important to me to build moments of reflection into the route to make sure we remember the Dyfed-Powys Police officers who never made it home.

“Each name we reflect upon represents dedication, courage, and the highest standard of service to the public. They remind us of what it means to put the safety of others before our own, and of the risks inherent in the oath police officers take.”

The tour is aiming to raise £1,000 for COPS. More than £600 has already been donated.

Anyone wishing to support the team can donate through the JustGiving page for Dyfed Powys Police Cyclists.