Shepherds Ice Cream in Powys

Nice sandwiches with good service in the centre of town. Seating is OK and atmosphere pleasant. Ginger beer lacked a bit of bite.

A lovely place. Great hot drinks and gorgeous cakes and fruit loaf. The staff were really friendly and lovely with our young children, making them feel special and listened to. Reasonable prices and a great atmosphere.

Lovely place to stop by for a quick bite to eat. Lovely setting, brilliant coffee and scrumptious toasties. Highly recommend.

I was so long picking my flavours that the writing on the cabinet started coming off on my fingers. I had a tub with plum & cinamon and ginger in it. It was very nice, though a bit expensive for what it was.

We had lunch here in August just after the bank holiday busy but made to feel welcome quick service and food and drink arrived promptly nice big pot of tea and two lovely toasted sandwiches highly recommended

I don't normally leave reviews for coffee shops, as I find them hard to distinguish. However, the chocolate brownie here was SO good, that I'm sat here days later, still reminiscing. It was a busy, midweek August day, but upstairs isn't fully visible from the door, and we found a few spare tables hidden up there. The queue was consistent, and we could see the ice cream is very popular. There was also a varied selection of other hot and cold food available. Prices were on the steeper side for what I normally like to pay, but comparable within Hay. The pot of tea was a little weak, the Americano was good - but the star of the show was that brownie! It is enough to separate this place as somewhere memorable and recommendable.

Really good experience, they even had a gluten free cone which was amazing! The lovely blonde lady who served me was such a ray of sunshine in-fact all the staff were so kind and helpful, amazing to see!! Definitely coming back well done team!!

Well it was three trips to Hay before we managed to get to Shepherd's. Our hosts recommended and we were not disappointed. Vanilla and Chocolate Ice Cream were both excellent. And Cortado on the Coffee Menu. Great to see. Hayling Seagoon

First visit here and enjoyed our coffee and snacks. Very friendly staff, charming surroundings and a good choice of food on offer. I would visit again.

Not a lot you can say you only have to look at the hygiene score in the window. We saw it after we ate unfortunately but it explained why it wasn't very good.

This is always the first place we visit when in Hay-On-Wye, as the food and ice cream is lovely! The place itself reminds me of an old vintage cafe as the decor is quite vintage and interesting (which I personally love). It is a bit pricey here although it’s definitely worth trying out if you get the chance to try anything here. The only regret I had about my last visit was the fact I didn’t try the vegan grilled sandwich that my sister had, which looked absolutely delicious! That’s something i’ll be trying out when I’m visiting next time!

Came in for a drink and a snack. Lady who served us was rude, annoyed at every question and purposely belligerent, over-qualifying what you were asking for in a monotone way to imply the customer is an idiot. Didn't know if this was because we were tourists, regulars were treated slightly more patiently but not much. When we sat down she loudly barked "it's manic!" after having 3 customers to serve, the photo shows how busy it is. Had a toasty and tea which was nice, as was waitress who served us, so extra star for that, but at £6 and £4.80 respectively, it's a lot to pay for the prickly service. I suppose it's one of the only cafés open after 2pm, so they can get away with the poor service.

Not sure what has happened to the once excellent Shepherds Parlour but in the few intervening months since our last trip the service, menu and atmosphere has gone through the floor. Interminable wait, tuna melt that was more pesto than anything else, bacon sandwich with mayo that wasn't requested, teapot that hadn't seen a teabag so came out like dishwater. Rude staff and overwhelmed manager. What an utter shame. Used to be the highlight of a trip to Hay with kids.

Oh dear, what has happened? Shepherds used to be fun and fast. Walk in chat in the queue, place your order, hang on while your coffee's made and then take it and your cake to a table. Now it seems so complicated; find a table number, place order, back to table and wait. And wait. And wait a bit more. Hot food's even slower. The new system seems so unnecessarily complicated and sooo slow. It used to work perfectly.

After looking for Gluten Free venues for my son who is coeliac, we came here for some ice cream. When asking for a gluten free cone, the server immediately asked if it was for a coeliac. She then washed hands, utensils, and got a scoop of ice cream from a fresh tub. I cannot say how amazing it is to have an establishment that takes this seriously and is so obliging and helpful in doing so. Even purchased a pack of GF cones. The ice cream was delicious too.

We visited shepherds recently during our annual trip to hay as we have done many times previously but we found this visit to be less than pleasant. Whilst waiting for our cold coffee we saw a member of staff get a dressing down infront of customers over what appeared to be something trivial clearly leaving her feeling humiliated. There were a number of staff members very uninterested in providing any level of customer service. Our coffees arrived 15 minutes after our food and was cold. I'm unsure if the business has recently changed hands but it certainly has deteriorated since my last visit and sadly think I won't return.

The cafe wasn't particularly busy, but it took over 20 minutes for my son's Crepes to arrive. Other people who arrived long after us had food brought to their tables before our sad looking, over-priced pancakes arrived. I would suggest that if they stuggle to...

We came in on Thursday for coffee and waited a long time. The staff where more interested in having a conversation saying what celebrities they thought the looked like so I think they forgot our order 20 minutes later our coffees arrived in glass cups...

Lovely atmosphere (a bit crowded, but that was nice). Excellent focaccia sandwich and ice cream--like, really really good. Best coffee I've had in UK, I think. Great value. Kids loved their pancakes.

Stopped for a coffee on a Sunday afternoon and it was busy - a good sign! Decaf coffee a little bitter for my liking but a good independent cafe with toilets that were clean.

We visited here with family - four of us - just for coffee. The staff were very pleasant, it was busy, the coffee was good (not too bitter) and the food looked inviting. Two days later we returned, just myself and my husband, on market...

We were visiting Hay, and I was excited to see a coffee shop selling extract coffee. Despite everyone else drinking out of mugs our coffees arrived in paper cups without any reasoning or apology. I was a bit disappointed when I raised this, and then...

Visited here during an overnight visit to Hay on Wye, the staff were so attentive and helpful. My girlfriend has coeliac disease and often struggles to find places that have something suitable for her to eat but this was not a problem here, all the...

Great choice to cool the mouth after spicy lunch elsewhere, good selection of flavours, top marks for gluten-free cone for the wife.

Lovely to sit in the window, watch the world go by, drink good coffee and eat two scoops of excellent sheeps' milk ice-cream each. We do this each time we visit Hay, trying to choose our favourite flavours. There's a wide variety, and a couple...

Characterful place with friendly staff. Limited savoury menu though. Came for some lunch and sat outside as we had our dog with us. Had a couple of sandwiches. One with brie and one with ham and chutney. Sandwiches were decent, nice bread, but perhaps a...

First time in the place fantastic service and outstanding coffee and a lovely toasted sandwiches all at a fair price we would recommend and will go back again next time we are in the area.

Nice ice cream but missing a wafer and the menu didn’t seem to offer much choice - no extra toppings available on the menu just a choice of one or three scoops. Also no mention of ice cream sundaes?

The title says it all - great ice cream made with sheep's milk - try it! Great attentive friendly service.

Just a beautiful, friendly place with amazing icecream! We had a brilliant time here and ended up coming back rather too often because it was just so delicious. If we lived round the corner I would move in!

This has to be the best cafe in Hay. The food is consistently good and the coffee is excellent. We love the ice cream here also.

Popped in on a Monday and had tea, cappuccino and 3 variety of sandwiches. Very tasty indeed, so an easy recommend if you are in the area. The one drawback was the size of the restroom - it is very small.

One of the best cafes in Hay on Wye. Authentic, busy with great service. Sandwiches were nice as was the coffee... also treated ourselves to an ice cream.

Just called in on spec for a quick coffee. delightful small cafe with a good range of snacks and lovely -looking ice-cream (I was tempted but resisted!) The coffee was excellent. Not sure why, but it just tasted great. Staff were friendly and efficient. There...

Busy little cafe. Serves ice cream and crepes as well as nice looking sandwiches. I had a coffee and brownie which was nice and my disaggregated had hot chocolate and brownie. The cakes were lush. Her hot chocolate though tasted like instant and nothing special....

Faced with quite a choice of places on our visit to Hay-on-Wye we just chanced it and went in for coffee. The staff were so helpful and pleasant we went back later for lunch (can really recommend the vegan toasted sandwich!). Will always go there...

Divine ice-cream in crisp sugar cones emblazoned with 'Shepherds'. Simply one of the best ice-creams you're ever likely to eat. Especially the orange and cointreau!

It was a smashing coffee and a lush, moist apple cake. It hit the spot just about right. And they allow doggos as well. Result!

Excellent little cafe and ice cream parlour. We order take out and ate the most delicious ice cream in a thick crunchy cone. I cannot recommend the run and raisin enough!

We went to this place at the end of a busy day, the only seating available was in the large front window next to the ice cream counter. A massive queue quickly formed outside and we were surrounded by people peering in at us whilst...

Lovely ice cream, good choice of flavours in really tasty cones. I had peanut butter and chocolate which was delicious!

Went to Hay on Wye to meander round the antique shops and bookshops. Sweltering hot day. Stopped and sat outside for a very scrummy mint choc chip ice cream. My husband had rum and raisin. Very busy shop, queued for around 15 minutes to get...

Freshly made toasted sandwiches - cheese and spring onion, and local ham with Brie and chilli jam - both very good, coffees also very good, and friendly efficient service. Highly recommended.

Toastie Takeaway - stunning! Called in here at 3.30pm on a cold Saturday after walking around Hay. Great safety first covid procedures in place. Tuna melt toastie was delicious, beautifully packaged for takeaway and the coffee was nice too!

Some may find it a bit strange that ice cream it made using sheeps milk but give it a try with yummy. Think there were 16 different flavour. Well worth trying.

Thrilled to find an ice cream today which my 2 year old with multiple allergies could have. Soooo nice to be able to give her something other than sorbet. Staff were amazing at checking it was safe too and were just so kind and friendly....

Stopped here for an ice cream (after all that's what Shepherds are famous for). Had a great selection and none of us were disappointed with our choices.

We visited here on a wet day in mid August but there should always be time for delicious ice cream whatever the weather! The Covid measures were sensible, queueing outside ,the shop and only one person in the shop to be served at one time, hand sanitiser available inside the shop. Brilliant ice cream flavours and a lovely ice cream cone. We also had a fresh lemon and mint lemonade which was refreshing and tasty. Would definitely have more ice cream from here again!

Delicious local icecream with a variety of new and interesting flavours (my favourite being the lebanese coffee) and fantastic/approachable staff! Due to social distancing laws there was a bit of a queue, but my goodness it was worth the wait.

Although unable to have eat in options Shepherds was our go to place during our recent visit. Not just fantastic ice cream but also a small but delicious range of sandwiches, salads and cakes. Excellent value, top quality. Be prepared to queue it’s worth it.

Great range of flavours and delicious taste. We were reassured to see sensible queuing precautions for socially distant ice cream purchases!

This is our go to place for coffee in Hay. The drinks are consistently good and the service always comes with a smile. There are often queues but take that as a good sign, its worth the short wait. Ice cream is delicious and can also be bought in tubs to take home.

Delicious takeaway lunch (boxed salad & tuna melt sandwich),scrumptious cakes & ice cream & coffee. Needed to queue outside the shop because it was one customer/family at a time. Tables & chairs available opposite outside, no seating inside. Customers required to wear a mask when ordering to protect staff. Hand sanitizer available. Very patient staff. Very well organised, safe, minimal interaction with staff, plus absolutely gorgeous food. Would highly recommend.

We booked a short break to Clyro and spent quite a bit of time in Hay-on-Wye, beautiful town. Across from the castle we found the Shepherds Parlour. Although it wasn’t business as usual, the Parlour was offering take-away food and ice cream. We ordered a tuna melt and the ham, Brie and chilli jam sandwich - they were fantastic! Perfect size to fit in an ice cream afterward and the ice cream was also amazing. We will definitely go again when next visiting the area.

Like a lot of tea rooms, it’s hard to say how the quality of fare will be from first viewing through the window and then the offerings on display. Once inside, it looked like a well run place with artisan food, all appearing to be home-made. The savoury fillings looked very interesting and I was spoilt for choice. We ordered, sat down and experienced really tasty food and drink - a real treat at a good price. Certainly a lucky find as we could have easily popped into to another tea room. We just had to have an ice cream to ear as we continued our walk and these again were generous and tasty. Having really tasty food makes it memorable and no doubt we’ll be back.

Not having a sweet tooth I cannot comment on the various delights of this establishment, but as an avid coffee aficionado it’s a full high five every time !

We had some delicious coffee,and cake,and went back 3 times during a 3 day visit!Lovely ,welcome each time and would highly recommend it.

You have to try the Marmite Cheese Sourdough! Unbelievably good, the marmite butter makes all the difference as it melts into the toast as it’s grilled. Addition of some fresh tomato was a top tip Tom, thank you. Try this place!

Amazing selection of ice creams on offer, it was hard to choose! We were served quickly, even though on this cold Jan day they were busy. The lady serving us was very helpful, explaining flavours & popular choices to help us decide. Will be back to try more of the range, thank you!

My hubby and I have been coming to Hay and visiting Shepherds for 15 years or so. We called in on Saturday for a quick bite to eat and were really disappointed by the quality of the food. It’s not a patch on what it was. The focaccia looks lovely, but the two we had were rather stale, and basically had nothing in them. One slice of tomato in one half and a very thin slice of ham over some too sweet fig jam. They were also cool and hardly warmed through. We did not have the time nor inclination to complain as we were in a hurry, but we won’t be back anytime soon. One other comment it looks awful seeing your staff behind the counter in an array of woolly jumpers, unhygienic and unprofessional I am afraid. Come on Shepherds smarten up your act!

I very often pop into shepherds for a take away coffee on my way to work, however, I’ve recently stopped. It’s a shame that their excellent coffee is ruined by their staffs snobbish behaviour and inability to smile.

Called in to Sheppards Parlour, busy place, busy place usually means a good place.Ordered a coffee and a pot of tea. .....A cup of coffee, and a pot of tea along with up turned tea cup and saucer on a tray....no tea spoons! On turning the tea cup over it was absolutely filthy!! Perhaps the staff need a refresher course in washing up and smiling!!!

I visit Shepherds frequently and their coffee and ice cream cannot be faulted. That being said I have recently noticed a significant drop in the staffs attitude, instead of leaving with a smile on my face I have started leaving with a sour taste in my mouth. I honestly don’t think it’s too much to ask to be greeted with a smile or a hello, the staff seem completely uninterested in my business.As always customer service is key, and in future I think I’ll be spending my money in a business that can manage to greet their customers with a smile.

There always seems to be a debacle when standing in line to order food/Ice Cream here. Then the people in the wrong line get to the front of the line your waiting in. Totally frustrating, some simple signage would be great to help keep tourists under control.Nonetheless the food and beverages are of a good standard, staff always accommodating and helpful, offering relatively quick service.A nice experience whether it be just a coffee or a brunch.Not a lot of meal choices for Vegans/Plant Based, although Vegan Ice Cream is available.

Popped into Shepherds for coffee and breakfast. Great coffee and hot chocolate and a good range of snacks and lunch options. Delicious looking ice cream too- but going to save that for the summer!

We stopped in here for coffee and cake on a couple of occasions, and were struck both times by just how unfriendly the staff were. We're not precious but is it really that hard to greet customers with a hello, or, God forbid, maybe a smile? Decent coffee and nice enough cake just aren't enough for us to ignore the sour looks and curt responses from the staff, and we will be going elsewhere in future.

Very good coffee, cakes and healthy lunches. Very popular small place so inevitably queues but lovely staff

Nice spot. Service fine. Average offerings. Had a ham ciabatta...very very light on the filling and no sides. Vanilla and raspberry cake cut as thin as possible and not hugely tasty. Will try somewhere else next time.

Visited this cafe with family from afar with our little schnauzer Alfie, Who was made to feel very welcome, We had the portobello mushroom sandwiches Amazing, The young man with the amazing personality recommended them, He was soooo lovely even exchanged our coffees cause they were warm, With no trouble at all, Amazing service from him, On the way out we couldnt resist an icecream the young lady recommended one of the fantastic flavours, We all loved it, Thanks to the staff

You can’t miss this lovely little place - middle of Hay - I would imagine it’s always busy even during the week.

Only stayed for coffee. It was rather busy but that is Hay on Wye for you. Pleasant atmosphere. Tables outside just across the street was a good touch and great for people watching especially as the small market was on at the time

Called here and waited to be served. Sadly another person who arrived after me was served first. Ok so an honest mixup. When I got served just 2 coffees the young lady serving had a bit of a snooty attitude. And then proceeded to mix up the change when I paid.

The best coffee I have had in years. Had a flat white and immediately ordered the same again which has never happened before, anywhere. Very nice atmosphere. Nice cakes, great ice cream. A real high point of our visit: thank you.

the queues say it all! Great ice cream and drinks. the cones actually have 'Shepherds' embossed on them - very impressive

I would call myself a regular here but over the last few months I have visited a couple of times and really can't rate this place anymore. I usually visit with some friends and we all have come to the same conclusion and have been disappointed over our last few visits. The goats cheese toasted sandwiches are a joke they have virtually no filling in them, it is pitiful if you open them up and see a very tiny blob of goats cheese in them and a few wilted leaves and a few bits of chopped onion. Sandwiches used to be better filled and have some tasty and interesting fillings. I get the impression it is all a cost cutting exercise. I know I am not the only one finding this place not to be as good. Cakes are very expensive and the coffee is often served Luke warm. It appears that weekends are mainly young poorly trained staff. I think we will look for an alternative cafe now.

We bought our icecream cones here.

Visited here 3 times over 3days, first for lunch then the next 2 days for breakfast. Very friendly staff, warm welcome each time. Bacon Butty highly recommended for breakfast! Hot Choc great too!! Will definitely visit again when in the area.

Not only is the ice cream, cake and affogato to die for, the scrupulous attention to ensure that I did not get contaminated with gluten was exemplary! So not only did I enjoy a delicious treat but I did so with peace of mind; a rare experience. Highly recommended on all fronts!

All sorts of ice cream available - sheep as well as cow milk types. Very popular and full of chatting folk enjoying the surroundings and the food. Erudite conversations analysing books abound and the staff seem to be enjoying their work. Enjoyed a very tasty hot chocolate.

We are intolerant to cow milk so this place is a godsend. Also the service is good despite most customers standing dribbling and undecided when they see the selection. No trip to Hay is complete without two visits to Shepherds.

This top cafe has fantastically delicious ice creams atop really crunchy cones at £2-30 each. They also do lunch bites like sandwiches, coffee and tea. Service is friendly and fast.

We had left lunch a bit late and most places were busy but saw some folks leaving a window table here and nipped in and nabbed it! It proved to be an excellent choice. Great tasty food, very friendly service and good coffee. Recommended!

I often pop into Shepherds for an Ice cream, coffee or lunch. Particularly good Toasted Tuna Melts are my favourite and the Ice creams are DELICIOUS as is the coffee. The people who work there are delightful and the new tables and chairs in the front of the shop are a comfortable addition. It is always a pleasant experience and one I hope to repeat many more times!

You should really try the ice cream for which it is famous. And they also sell locally produced jams which are delicious. Great coffee good snacks and friendly staff

Went in to Shepherds Parlour for a light and late lunch. Great reception, smiling young lady behind the counter.

We visited on a beautiful sunny day, queue out the door for the takeaway ice cream which immediately closed off the parlour.

A comfortable cafe situated in the heart of Hay. Although the ordering service is a little tricky with often long queues but little space to wait for your food, and the coffee isn't the best in town, the positives far out-way the negatives. The ice cream and milkshakes are delicious, the sandwiches and paninis made with fresh local bread, the best I've ever had! The cakes are small but wonderful so you don't feel too over indulgent. A definite must visit!

Ice Cream at Shepherds is a MUST on every trip to Hay-on-Wye! Don't let the weather tell you otherwise!

Take the family and friends to enjoy a wonderful choice of delicious treats, coffee tea, many flavours of ice cream, sit inside and people watch, staff excellent never rush you spend hours enjoying the family friendly atmosphere lots of noisy chatter.

Had really looked forward to lunch here , unfortunately they only allow dogs at the lower level tables and they were full . We asked if we could go to the upper level ( up 4 steps) but were refused . They told us we could sit outside if we wanted - it was raining and freezing cold !!! We left

Se siete ad Hay-on-Wye, non potete perdere il gelato fatto con latte di pecora, davvero ottimo! Raccomando in particolare il gusto noce, buonissimo!

My wife and I popped in here for a light lunch and where delighted by the delicious range of sandwiches. The coffee was the best we have had in a long time (wish we lived nearer) and the staff where very friendly and bent over backwards to look after us, the lady who served me had a lovely smile, I even suggested we took off together to which she said she would get in too much trouble! However she did offer to take my tray to my table for me.....perhaps at nearly 80 I’m a bit old for her? We had an ice cream after and set off for home pondering when we can next find a reason to go back to hay for another coffee! Thanks

Went for an ice cream here on a sunny afternoon and sat outside across the road from the cafe. Mango and passion fruit sorbet and cherry yogurt “gorgeous” and absolutely adored my blackcurrant and mint ice-cream.

Par un frais dimanche après-midi d'avril, après 16 heures. Les restaurants sont fermés. Nous entrons par hasard dans ce "caffee". Accueil très sympathique. Des sandwiches toastés à base de produits frais. Un régal. Des gâteaux faits maison très bons également.

We were directed here by one of the market traders and very pleased with their suggestion ! It was quite busy , but, found a small, albeit very wonky table, and ordered sandwiches £4.50 each. The special of the day was an aubergine and coronation chicken combination and it was really tasty ! Pot of tea yielded 3 good cups - you order and pay at the counter and staff deliver to your table. All the staff are young and all seemed pleasant and efficient. Make sure you leave room for the ice-creams - they are delicious - there is also a vegan choice - as there would be in Hay. It has that sort of vibe ! But, I indulged with damson flavoured with sloe gin and topped with a scoop of ginger - really different !

Hay was busy today, and all of the cafes were too. We grabbed a table here, it was a bit grubby to say the least. One good thing- the coffee, whilst only warm it was tasty. However, the soup of the day was pretty hopeless, tasteless and poorly seasoned(parsnip soup), but the woeful part was my 'toasted goats cheese sandwich'..oily, two or three miserable salad leaves and one small circle/slice of goats cheese. The funny thing is I'd overheard the manageress berating one of her young staff as she said "we only put once slice of goats cheese in a toastie"- I overhead because we sat by the bar. There was food on the floor near the bin,tables were grubby, and the standards behind the counter looked very poor. I don't bother with reviews normally, but in this case it might help others thinking of going there. No, I didn't ask for our money back- the staff were arguing amongst themselves and I didn't fancy joining in!

Fantastic ice cream. So much choice! My son loves going here as a treat.

I’ve been to Shepherd’s before and never had any issues with the food or service, but today I was disgusted to see the way a young member of staff was treated. The cafe was very busy, with a long queue, lots of people waiting for their orders, and just one young lady dealing with all the food orders and looking completely overwhelmed. After struggling for at least 15 minutes (that I saw), an older woman who seemed to be a senior member of staff came in and got angry with her for not keeping up with all the food orders by herself. She shouted at her in front of everyone, and sent her away. I’ve always liked the food here, but I can’t support a business that treats its employees in such an awful way.

Very slow service served people in ice cream who came in after us, hot chocolate very dark no cream offered or marshmallow also coffee not at very hot could have drunk it down in one, apple pie was very nice, no sugar bowls on tables, no spoons with had to find these ourselves. Would not use this place again. Sorry for the bad review but only being honest as we use so many cafe's and try to give constructive criticism

After an unpromising first visit to the town the previous afternoon, this cafe restored our faith in Hay on Wye as a place worth visiting. Nice atmosphere. Good drinks. WiFi for doing a bit of research on our next destination. All very chilled.