MAGPIE’S Nest may be known as a place where people can buy quality bags, scarves and other gifts, arts and crafts – but its food is attracting just as many rave reviews.
Owner Liz Hanley took the decision to convert the first floor of her Stalybridge store into a coffee bar, initially with the idea of serving coffee and cake.
But demand from customers has seen her grow her range, with sandwiches and now even breakfasts on the menu.
And given the time of year, she has a Christmas selection that is going down a storm with people flocking to sample.
Party nights from 6.30pm until 11pm are proving popular at £25 per person, with the next on December 10 and 17, while Ashlie will be calling the numbers at a Christmas bingo night on December 16.
Throughout the week, festive afternoon teas, priced £12.99, are proving popular while the festive pudding board is a hit at £9.99.
It is all making the decision to incorporate a coffee bar into the shop, which can be accessed from both Melbourne Street and Armentieres Square, worthwhile.
Liz said: “When you start a business, you have a plan with what you think might happen in your wildest dreams in – then you work towards that.
“We’ve been in a position where we’re starting to realise that but it’s just the start of what I’d like to do with the business going forward.
“This was the next step on that journey.
“The short-term plan was getting established then branch out a bit. It’s not always plain sailing and it has taken a little longer than I would’ve liked but we’re at a point now where people enjoy coming in and shopping, so it seemed like the right time to have a go at the next part of the vision.
“And it’s been pretty much customer-led. We were just going to do coffee and cake, then we started doing things around Stalybridge Street Fest.
“But customers kept saying, #re you just going to do them then?’ It’s grown from there really, with people then saying, ‘Are you going to do sandwiches?’
“And the time was right to do it. You have an idea at the start of what you want things to look like and it’s getting exciting as we’re getting close to that point.
“In the next five or six years, we should achieve the end goal.”
Seeing customers either eating and drinking then shopping or voice-versa may project a picture of happiness but it was not always like that – there were nerves.
However, Liz put in place systems to make sure there was as little crossover as possible.
She added: “I was nervous. Because of the building’s layout, I was worried about doing things like bacon.
“We’ve got a lot of expensive products downstairs and we’re a Radley stockist – it’s quite hard to become one and I didn’t want someone from there to come in and get the smell of bacon.
“Things like that were a worry as I didn’t want to take away from the ambience downstairs with what’s going on upstairs – it has to be separate but the same!
“But we’ve put all the systems in place to make sure there are no cooking smells or anything like that.”
How the coffee bar has added to the Magpie’s Nest experience has left Liz very content – bit that is not the end of her plans.
2023 may see further developments and she told The Correspondent: “Watch this space. Next year’s our 10-year celebration and that will be a very exciting time.”
*MAGPIE’S Nest is at 30, Armentieres Square in Stalybridge and its first floor coffee room is open from 9am until 5pm Monday-Saturday and from 10am until 4pm on Sunday. Afternoon teas can be booked by calling 0161 338 8262 or emailing info@magpiesnest.co.uk.
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