The owner of Madhatters in Kimberley is quitting on a high - and can't wait to see what the new owners bring to the cafe. It's just over 10 years since Nygel Stevenson opened the tea room on Valentine's Day 2012.
And even during the darkest times when businesses were forced to close their doors during the pandemic, he said: "Even the last few years with Covid it hasn't been a low for me as it showed me the support I'd managed to get from the customers initially, stayed with them having takeaways, so it's all been highs, parties, tapas nights, people getting married, and we've had engagements in here so it has just been magical. I have loved everything about it."
He met Louis Theroux when the documentary maker was passing through Kimberley and gave him a tour of the quirky Alice in Wonderland themed cafe, where redundant seats from a trentbarton bus add to the vintage style. "Every single customer is important to me and we've made some wonderful friends over the years as well. That's the beauty of this place as it's a community within a community which is nice," said the 49-year-old.
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The cafe was originally a coffee shop located in Main Street but after three years the business moved to join Alice's Antiques in James Street. Eventually the antiques petered out and the tea room took over.
"I've evolved so much. I've listened to the customers and if people want things we'll do it. Some things have been really successful that I never thought would and things that I thought would be successful have not taken off. I didn't think the psychic nights would work and every single one they filled. I was proved wrong," said Nygel. However, food around the world theme nights failed to take off so he stuck to tapas evenings.
He had well-known Irish comedian Frank Carson to thank for the name. Sitting next to him at birthday party Nygel told him he'd just bought a coffee shop. "He said you're as mad as a hatter buying a coffee shop in a recession. I looked at him and said 'you've just named my business'.
"I hate to admit it, I'd never seen Alice in Wonderland until I opened the tea room. People have brought gifts in over the years and it's a theme everybody loves and it's all ages from little kiddies to older people. People come in showing us their tattoos and those wonderful Irregular Choice shoes with Alice heels. Some people are obsessed with it which is great - it's a theme that just works," said Nygel, who used to run a hotel in the Vale of Belvoir.
He decided to sell up after a number of health scares. After a mini stroke doctors found heart problems, so he had three stents fitted. "It makes you think there's more to life, I've got to move on. I've got an elderly father to look after so I'm just concentrating on having a nice life," said Nygel, who will jetting off on a solo trip to Thailand for a nice long break after handing over the reigns to Madhatters' new owners.
After 150 inquiries in a fortnight he found the perfect couple to take over. "They are keeping it as Madhatters but will put their stamp on it, which is great. I don't want anyone to leave it as a shrine to me. It's got to evolve.
"I'd never seen them before, they'd never been in the place. I will carry on supporting them. They take over on October 1 and I fly out on October 2. They don't need me coming in, they need that space to do what they want to do and find their feet and then I can come back in November and see what they've done and enjoy it from a customer point of view.
"I thought I would be sad. If I was closing the doors and having to sell everything off and leaving an empty shell then I would be sad but by walking away knowing it's going to evolve and change but carry on that makes me happy and I know they will make a success of it.
"When we sat and discussed and did the deal lots of things fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle. They are just lovely. I could not be happier. I can see the love and excitement and it's wonderful."
He might not be sad but Nygel expects to be a tad emotional on September 24 when he's meeting all his former staff for a photoshoot and then inviting customers to pop in from 2pm for a glass of prosecco to say goodbye and meet the couple taking over: Damian Newsham, 41, and Hannah Newsham-Brooks, 37, who moved to Kimberley during lockdown.
Damian is currently a salesman and Hannah works in finance at the Holgate Academy in Hucknall but both are experienced in hospitality, having started working in the industry as teenagers. "Since we been together we've always wanted our own place. We've always worked for someone else.
"We looked at a couple of places but they fell through before lockdown One day I was on Facebook and I saw Nygel's post. I'd not even been in that was the ironic thing. We left it a couple more weeks and then said shall we just have a look?" said Hannah, who instantly fell in love with Madhatters as soon as she stepped inside.
"I can't describe it - you just get that little feeling when you walk in and it's just a pretty shop. What Nygel has done I want to build on it- he's already done the hard work and now it's just building on it."
They're keeping the name Madhatters and the day-to-day business of cake and afternoon teas won't change. They have plans to stay open a little later to serve cocktails with a twist and will be trialling brunch every other Sunday.
Meanwhile Nygel plans on becoming a YouTuber, filming his travels both at home and abroad at Nygel's Adventures. His other legacy in Kimberley is the Christmas Market, which he launched in 2012, and another couple will carry on the good work.
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