With just 12 months of trading behind them, the founders of cult Cardiff pie & coffee brand Donald’s Pies have acquired and opened their first dedicated production kitchen in the Welsh capital.
The major milestone will allow the business to increase pie production tenfold, expand partnerships, and meet growing demand from fans, stockists, and stadiums across Wales and the South West.
Founded by two friends and inspired by a shared love of food, grassroots sport, and travel, Donald’s Pies started as a nod to founder Gareth Owens’ travels around New Zealand, and his late, pie-loving grandad, Donald.
Teaming up with graphic designer Harri Owain Rees, Donald’s Pies started as a side hustle in a converted van, but quickly became one of the most talked-about pop-ups in Cardiff. Parked up at Radyr Cricket Club, the Donald’s van began serving hot, handmade pies to a growing crowd of dog walkers, runners, and Sunday morning regulars – many of whom still form the core of the brand’s loyal fanbase.
Word spread fast, and before long, the team were selling out instant classics (like their ‘Jerry Collins’ mince, onion gravy and vintage cheddar pie), week after week.
That early success gave Donald’s the confidence to go all in, and in October 2024, they took over a small former coffee shop on Quay Street, just a stone’s throw from the Principality Stadium. As the glowing reviews rolled in, Donald’s cemented itself as a new staple of the city centre’s indie food scene – and a regular stop off for local run clubs.
Now, with the van enjoying its second summer season at Radyr Cricket club, a thriving city centre shop, and a growing wholesale arm, the business is scaling at speed; the new kitchen based on Penarth Road will serve as the engine room for production, freeing the team from the hassle of rented kitchens, and enabling them to meet growing demand.
“We’ve had so much support from our locals and beyond, but to really go for it we needed a home of our own,” said Gareth. “This kitchen has given us the capacity to say yes to a lot more, and it means shorter days on the M4!”
The news follows a string of exciting developments for the business, including a new partnership with Barry Town RFC, where fans can now enjoy Donald’s pies pitch-side; and a Steak & Coal Drop Stout pie collab with Tiny Rebel Brewery.
With the new kitchen up and running the Donald’s team will also start supplying The Grange Pub in Grangetown, the National Museum of Wales and five outlets at St Fagan’s Museum of Welsh Life; on the horizon, kitchen takeover events are planned in Bristol, Birmingham and the London Welsh centre in the coming months.
To fund the kitchen build-out and scale the next phase of growth, the Donald’s team has also launched a campaign offering fans a chance to ‘Own a Piece of the Pie’ – an opportunity to invest directly in the business, earn perks and discounts, and share in the brand’s future.
“Donald’s has always been about community,” said Gareth. “So, it’s only right that the people who helped us get here can now say they have their fingers in pies, so to speak.”
