Amazing choice of unusual ice cream flavors - I went for a double cone of Sherry Trifle and Wild…read moreStrawberry flavors. There were also nice looking cakes. Friendly staff.

A reason in and of itself to drive out to West Wales. This place is a Must Stop any time my wife…read moreand I venture west of Swansea. Chocolates bought here rarely last all the way home to Cardiff...

So sweets are bad for your teeth, right? But let's think about this logically, do we really *need*…read moreour teeth? I mean sometimes they just get in the way... okay, there's no excuse for gorging on retro sweets, but come on, when there's a traditional shop that still sells sugary goodness in quarters in paper bags from huge jars, there's not much point in resisting. Chobbles is a gift shop for the ones who just can't say no to pick n' mix. That group includes me if anyone's looking to score brownie points somewhere along the line... Can Chobbles do no wrong? After all, a sweet shop, traditional or otherwise, is just a sweet shop at the end of the day. But this one goes the extra mile. Not only does it sell special teddy bears which gives the place extra Pester Power kudos (warning - don't... take... the... children), they have special gift bags of retro sweets separated by decade. That's right. You can delve back into a particular era via your tastebuds - Sherbet Fountains, gobstoppers, Black Jacks and Fruit Salads, candy cigarettes... what more could you want? It's tooth-rotting time travel! Enamel be damned, who's afraid of the big bad dentist? Not me. Well, actually I am. Anyone who's ever had traintrack braces at an impressionable age will understand this. But here be sweets that are worth the lecture, the wrath and the impending drill. Sugar never tasted so good. Treat yourselves!

Saundersfoot is a little village located near Tenby in Pembrokeshire. It is traversed by several…read morecoastal path walks. Chobbles Sweet Shop is a traditional sweet shop and a good stop to pick up some little treats as a reward for all that exercise. The traditional sweets are kept in glass jars and can either be taken away in paper bags or some of the shop's special decorative containers. Nice for nostalgia or just a sugary treat on that coastal walk!

Right in the heart of historic Monmouth town centre on Monnow Street, this independently owned…read morechocolatier founded in 2006 was a real find. Its small, well ordered premises were brimming with chocolate based goodies. Best of all much of it was made on the premises, using Belgian Callebaut couverture chocolate as the base. Under their own brand Mon Cacao range, more than 46 varieties are available, with a variety of dark, milk and white chocolate on offer. They also sold milkshakes, ice creams etc. Well worth a visit. You can also order online via their website.

This shop has closed now (pretty much like most of the other independent shops in Monmouth!) It's…read morebeen replaced by Topstak, they sell and install stoves & fires http://www.topstak.co.uk/monmouth-showroom.php

Chocolate wasted! Literally. These boozy chocolates are like having a shot... Wow! Go home drunk,…read moreyou're chocolate. I mean... Go home chocolate, you're drunk. I mean... I'm moving to Wales just for this alcoholic's dream: boozy chocolates! Hiccup. Oh. And, they have a ton of non-alcoholic, delicious chocolates too, for those who don't understand what kind of magical-bliss-heaven-paradise is found in a piece of delectable chocolate that serves as a shot too. Also, I suggest a chaser. This is one STRONG, POTENT bite. Trust me. I wouldn't (hiccup) steer you (hiccup) wrong (hiccup). Goodnight. Oops, I forgot to say we tried the whiskey one and the pink champagne truffles. Beautiful. Ok. Goodnight. Hiccup.

Now, I certainly won't say that this shop alone is worth the trip to Cowbridge, but I will…read morecertainly imply it heavily. This is a charming little shop tucked away off the main road passing through the town, so you might not immediately see it. It's easy to find though, and is very near the main parking zone. The staff in Cocoa & Co are very lovely, and clearly take a pride in their products. They have a good range of handmade chocolates and gifts, but the thing that really makes this shop something special, are the sugar-covered almonds. In all different colours, jars of them fill a wall. These are my favourite of sweets, so I was very, very excited when I first found them. But they're great for wedding favours, and Cocoa & Co specialise in making these up, if you're so inclined.

You will find Cocoa & Co down a quaint little mews off the High Street at the top end of Cowbridge…read more You can get there by turning right after Arthur John Hardware. (I had lived in Cowbridge for six months before I discovered this beautiful little mews!) Being a chocoholic this is my kind of shop, and although expensive, the treats that they have on offer are our of this world... so, essentially well worth the extra dollar! Although i have never indulged in anything but the handmade chocs, they also sell a pretty broad assortment of other sweets, that are bought in from other cottage industries and small manufacturers. The interior of the shop is like something you would expect to find in a period film about the Victorian era... it has that other-worldly charm going on about it! A real delight!

Kate's brownies are deceptive…read more I've often been seduced by a sexy looking brownie - all cracked crunch on top, moistness within, maybe some walnuts thrown into the mix - only to be disappointed by a gritty texture, rancid nuts or an overly sweet, cheap chocolate taste. But when I first received my Gower Cottage Brownies in the post and opened them, the opposite happened. I unwrapped the beautiful packaging to find some "plane Jane" brownies sitting on the parchment before me. Brownies that would never win first prize in a brownie beauty pagent, no siree bob. But, oh! When I took a bite, I was seduced! Dense, gooey with a marvellously rich, deep dark chocolate taste these are seriously good, utterly indulgent, naughtily moreish brownies! These aren't cheap thrill, quick and dirty, unsatisfying one-night-stand brownies. These are take-home-to-mother, marry and come home to every night for the rest of your life brownies! They are are all about the eating experience rather than the window display! And isn't that just as it should be? If you need to say "thank you", "I love you", "get well soon", "good luck" or just "I've been thinking of you!" to anyone who appreciates top quality chocolatey goodness, I can wholeheartedly recommend giving them a box of these brownies - they'll get the message loud and clear! (And I'm hoping some of my friends and family might be reading this and make a mental note... I'm not kidding and yes please!) I have sent these to friends and family myself and had some greeeaaat feedback!

Mm, mmm, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!…read more My step father is a continental confectioner and also a Master Baker... you have to be careful how you say that, or it can cause eruptive bouts of hysteria! Anyway, he makes things that are out of this world, but he has somewhat inconveniently moved to Holland with my mother! They say your first fix is free, and they're not wrong! I'm now utterly addicted to the finer things in life, and this is where I come to get my hit! The stuff that these guys do is equally as good as, if not better than what my stepfather used to make me... sorry Ray! You have got to try this place... it's a total must! And if you like it here, then you have to try Simply Steve's in Splott (Clifton Street).

This authentic French patisserie brings a continental flavour to Whitchurch Road, baking great hand…read moremade produce on site, in view of its customers. Although it's quite new, it already seems to have gained a good following, with plenty of people sat inside the window whenever I wander past. They sell cakes, tarts, savoury pastries, tea and coffee, and also make up fresh sandwiches - but it's their cakes that will be luring me back in through the door. They have a mouth-watering selection, but my favourites are the ones with crème pâtissière sandwiched between flaky pastry.