It’s Christmas every day in Ironbridge where a newly-relocated shop has opened “the first festive-themed cafe in the land”.
The Little Christmas Shop of Ironbridge originally opened three years ago at Tontine Hill with help from a £10,000 Pride in the High Street Fund from Telford & Wrekin Council.
But business has boomed so much they needed a new base and the owner saw a gap in the market.
Business owner Kim Warren said: “We opened three years ago this month and people said we wouldn’t last five minutes.
“But they love us. There is a trend to get a Christmas present from wherever you go, so we have the tourists who come to Ironbridge and locals who visit regularly, too.
“I did not think I would grow out of the old shop but we did. People love it here, they come in and film the place for their social media.”
Mrs Warren, 40, says her new shop at 33 High Street – next to Toy Box and the chip shop – has been doing a roaring trade since it opened two weeks ago.
She said a grant wasn’t needed to help the business grow and anyway she said she’s been so busy that she “did not have time to fill in the form.”
The 24-seat cafe part of the business in the Grade 2 listed building is called Mrs Claus’s kitchen in honour of Santa’s wife.
“I saw a gap in the market and we are the first Christmas cafe in the UK,” she said.
The business is open seven days a week and Mrs Warren says they have so many lines of goodies for presents that she hasn’t counted them all. The cafe remains Christmas-themed all year through.
And the new cafe sells all the Christmassy goodies, so customers can slurp Gingerbread lattes and chomp on Christmas cake all year round.
Turkey sandwiches, pigs in blankets make for a festive atmosphere even during the dreariest autumn day.
Look out for Christmassy offers on the The Little Christmas Shop & Mrs Claus’ Kitchen facebook page here: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063629526072
Keep an eye out for a special themed December 1940s event there on Friday, December 8 to raise money for Combat Stress.
Source: Shropshire Star
