The Electric Coffee bar

We make excellent coffee, serve loose-leaf teas and the finest cakes and savoury baked goods in a relaxed, community atmosphere.

No longer serving lunches - we’re all about the coffee, cakes and booze here now!

We do occasional evening opening, for music, gallery openings or other fun stuff; keep an eye on here and on our socials to see what’s going on.

Come to spend some time…

what’s on at the old electric?

hay festival 2025

our opening hours during hay festival will be 9am - 5pm from thursday 22nd may through to sunday 1st june, then back to our usual 10am - 5pm.

For various reasons (mostly that after twelve years of putting on a ten-day party it’s time for us to have a night out somewhere else!), we are taking a bit of a break from so much evening entertainment this year. However, we couldn’t step back completely - so - don’t miss it - we will be open late two nights only:

Barista preparing coffee behind a counter with a display case of cakes in a cozy café setting, featuring a blue teapot and cups on a tray.
Baklava pieces arranged in a circular pattern on a white plate.
Three cocktails on a table with shelves of glassware and jars in the background. One cocktail is brown with coffee beans as garnish, another is pink with a raspberry, and the third is clear with herbs.
Sign listing milk options: whole cow, skimmed cow, oat, coconut, and soy, with no extra charge.
Two plates of desserts in a display case: one with chocolate-drizzled oat bars and another with sliced wholemeal almond honey cake topped with almond slices.
Various cocktails on a table with decorative lights and a flower arrangement in the background.
A cup of coffee with latte art on a textured surface.
Bakery display with various pastries on glass shelves, including a banana loaf with caramel. Handwritten labels describe the items, such as raspberry blondies and lemon drizzle cake, against a backdrop of cherry blossoms.
Sign for The Old Electric Shop advertising a cocktail bar, music, and food available during the Hay Festival from 9am to 11pm.
Rustic wooden counter with various books, plants, ceramic pots, and decorative items including a star and vintage wheel, in an eclectic shop setting.
“I loved my experience in The Old Electric Shop. My son and I went in for some coffee and came out with books, beautiful pottery, candles and cards. It has a cool vibe and the coffee and cakes were delicious.”
— Google Maps
“Fabulous and Quirky
Found this place by accident but what a treat. It had lots of rooms to explore and then coffee and cake. Everything including the furniture you sat on/at was for sale. We loved this place.”
— Tripadvisor
“Hay’s hippest cafe inhabits an eclectic junk-shop-like space crammed with studios selling new and vintage clothing, furniture and, of course, books. Some nights (every night during the Hay Festival) the Electric Shop puts on a pop-up cocktail bar, often with live music.”
— Lonely Planet