Barry Mortlock, who created the award-winning Badgers tearooms in Llandudno, has sold the café and has launched a new concept based on franchising coffee-shop concessions inside larger stores.

The original Badgers store was notable for its traditional tea-house atmosphere, with the waitresses dressed in old-fashioned ‘nippy’ uniforms, and the shop won several awards (including several of the genuinely-impressive Loo of the Year awards).  Barry then expanded into an instore concession at a Waterstone’s bookshop, barely a hundred yards away.

“We operated the Coffee Culture concession from 2002, and during this time, I have been working hard on making this concept franchise-friendly,” he told Coffee House magazine. “Luckily Waterstone’s like our offer and have given us the opportunity of operating in another store in Swansea.  This is in a beautiful listed building and it must be one of the finest buildings in the UK.

“Our objective now is to expand with major retailers and have a quality franchisable package. We are confident in our concept, we have a very professional business proposal, and are ready to talk to major retailers about operating concessions.”

By Ian Boughton