Jones' Pizza History

The Story of Jones Pizza

From a campsite in Eryri to the North Wales coast

Jones Pizza began in 2012, when Rich started selling barbecue food under the name Smoking Jones at Llyn Gwynant campsite, in the heart of Eryri (Snowdonia).

Rich’s love of food and travel played a big part in shaping the business. His inspiration for pizza came particularly from his time in the French Alps, close to the Italian border, where he developed a real appreciation for good pizza. In 2013, he bought his first pizza oven and swapped barbecue for pizza, spending the summer making and selling pizzas at the campsite.

The original plan was simple: travel during the winter and make pizzas during the summer. And that’s exactly what we did for several years. The small venture grew from selling pizzas out of marquees to having a permanent takeaway building on site. Along the way, an old horse trailer was transformed into a vintage pizza trailer, which Char used to sell pizzas at another campsite and cater weddings.

Char met Rich in 2013 and joined the business in 2014. We married in 2017 and welcomed our first child, Hari, in 2018, followed by Neli in 2021. As our family grew, so did our ambitions for the business, and we began looking towards working more year-round rather than just seasonally.

Our final season at Llyn Gwynant was in 2020, marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

Taking Jones Pizza on the road

After leaving Llyn Gwynant, we bought Y Bws Crwst, a van converted into a food truck, and began selling pizzas outside Yr Alex pub in Caernarfon.

The next big step came in Upper Bangor. After taking on the lease and renovating the premises, Jones Pizza opened its doors in September 2023, giving us a permanent home for the business. Since then, Bws Crwst has continued to take our pizzas on the road, catering at the National Eisteddfod, local music events, weddings and other celebrations.

In 2025, we purchased the Upper Bangor premises, and in 2026, we expanded again by opening our takeaway at the former Braf Cafe in Dinas Dinlle.

And the story continues…

Over the years, Jones Pizza has been a real family affair, with family and friends helping us along the way, particularly during those early days at Llyn Gwynant. We're incredibly grateful to all the staff who have worked with us over the years and helped make the business what it is today.

From humble beginnings at a campsite to a city pizzeria and a takeaway on the coast, Jones Pizza has grown far beyond what we first imagined. We're proud of how far we've come and thankful to everyone who has supported us on the journey.

What started as a seasonal adventure inspired by travel has grown into a family business rooted in North Wales. And we're excited to see what comes next.