A CAFE which has stood on the same site for 100 years is being given a spruce up and a change of name.
The former Conduit Cafe, on Bridge Street, in Middleton-in-Teesdale, will be relaunched on Saturday, March 3, at 10am, with free tea and scones.
TV star David Harper is opening the shop
Former Bowlees Visitor Centre Cafe manager Michelle Longman is taking over from Lynne and Roy Oxby with the help of Newbiggin’s Kathryn Carr – who has shifted careers after 35 years in education.
Ms Longman worked for four years at the AONB cafe, first in partnership with the team at Cafe 1618 and then for a two-year spell with Cafe Fresh. When the contract was up, she decided the time was right to make the move down the dale. She said: “Everyone has been very supportive and I’m hoping all those people who supported us at Bowlees will be able to support us here. We had quite a reputation for our scones at Bowlees so I am looking to keep that – maybe in future all the cafes in Middleton will have a ‘scone-off’.”
The 50-year-old moved to Teesdale five years ago with her husband, Colin, after a career in sales. The pair converted a barn in Mickleton and set up their own bed and breakfast before spotting an opportunity at Bowlees.
Ms Longman added: “All the ladies from Bowlees are coming with me and one existing staff member who worked with Lynne will be staying on – it’ll be a nice friendly bunch.”
A new menu with daily specials is in the pipeline with
a focus on traditional favourites, breakfasts and light lunches. There will new signs for the outside alongside fresh decor, new flooring and a rejigged layout for the cafe’s interior.
Ms Longman also hoped to make use of the space upstairs. She added: “We’re planning to offer it for groups of ten or more for meetings and perhaps kids parties with a buffet menu.”
The Oxbys ran The Conduit for 13 years and Ms Longman praised them for their help with the handover.
A competition to guess the name of the cafe has also been launched. The winner could be in with a chance of claiming a free cream tea for two – entires can be posted through the door before the relaunch.
