Bringing Speciality Coffee to Machynlleth
Hermit Crab started (like a great cup of coffee) with just the right ingredients: A deep love of our community, and the need for a really great brew.
Founded in Autumn 2023 as a tiny takeaway coffee shop tucked between a solicitors office and an architect, Hermit Crab Coffee was built on the desire to create a space for Machynlleth to gather for great coffee, to provide jobs for local people, and to showcase some of the incredible local food we’re lucky enough to have nearby.
We moved into our current location on Heol Maengwyn in April 2025, expanded our team and began to offer sit down meals and cocktails, and to host events showcasing even more local talent from artists to musicians and poets.
Why Hermit Crab Coffee?
Hermit Crab is not just about a cute logo… (although it is a super cute logo)
Did you know that Hermit Crabs line up to swap shells when they’re ready to upsize?
And did you know that they often have to use our plastic litter as shells, which causes them no end of trouble?
The story behind Hermit Crab Coffee arose from a love of the natural world, and the wish to do better for it. Living where we do, in the beautiful Dyfi Valley, with the beaches of Yns Las in one direction and magnificent Cadair Idris in the other, the need to preserve natural spaces is clear.
Hermit Crab Coffee was born out of conversations with a 4 year old budding marine biologist, Sunday beach cleans, and a growing awareness of how our choices affect our immediate environment, and then ripple out across the globe.
Sustainability and connection is behind every choice we make – from choosing roasteries who directly support the people growing our coffee, to our collaboration with Criw Compostio, a local composting collective taking waste from Machynlleth businesses and turning it into compost for local growers.
Swapping Shells…
From our teeny tiny shell on Heol Penrallt, we moved into a bigger one – the old Rendezvous – on main street
And another lovely local business – Dyfi Delights – moved into our old shell. We now buy some of our baked goods from Joan, which feels like a nice way to keep that connection, and it makes us feel like real Hermit Crabs, gifting their shells when they’re ready for a bigger one!
What Makes Hermit Crab Different?
You want great coffee, tasty food and a choice of incredible local goods…
We’re proud to use local milk in our coffee, to stock the work of local artisans, bakers and makers, and to use the best possible ingredients in everything we make for you
You want a community that’s thriving, jobs for young (and not so young!) people, and cafe staff who are genuinely happy to see you…
We’re proud to provide meaningful employment and training to local people, and to put staff well-being, including fair pay and flexible working, at the forefront of how Hermit Crab is managed.
You want a genuinely inclusive and diverse space to gather…
We’re proud that many of our baristas are native Welsh speakers and that we welcome both the regulars from our local community, as well as Machynlleth’s tourists and visitors, into our sunny little cafe. (We can’t guarantee it, but there’s a really good chance that we’ll remember what your coffee order is, too!)