A shop owner who went rogue to serve hot drinks to visitors at Sherwood Forest has moved from the woods to a village high street. Major Brew, a business that started "accidentally" during the first lockdown, built up quite a following in the heart of the Robin Hood country.
But after running into trouble with the local council, owner Carl Wright closed the shop and moved into new premises in Edwinstowe where he can serve tea and artisan coffee - from Americano and Ristretto to Doppio and Latte. Major Brew began selling bags of coffee and equipment but when the cafe at Sherwood Forest's arts and craft centre closed during the second and third lockdowns and again last Christmas, Carl opened a window in his shop to serve takeaway drinks to visitors.
"During second lockdown when the cafe closed I had all the gear to make coffee and people were still walking around so I opened my window and became a takeaway for people to have a drink and walk around the woods - we had a really good following."
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But when he started up the takeaway again during the third lockdown he was reprimanded for bending the rules of his lease and claims he was told that he was competition for the cafe, even though it was closed.
When the cafe closed over the festive period he took the "executive decision" to fire up the coffee machine again but was ordered to close the window, leaving visitors without any hot drinks.
"I know I wasn’t meant to open but Robin Hood and his outlaws were seen as heroes for doing the right thing for the people. I saw my actions as a victimless crime giving the public what they want. How can I be competition to the café if they are closed?"
"We had people knocking the door down and saying 'You should be allowed to serve your coffee; you are a totally different product to the café, we loved using you through the window'."
However, since relocating Major Brew to Edwinstowe's High Street, the business has been a hit with locals, who can bag a seat on one of the Chesterfield sofas - or grab a takeaway coffee, loose leaf tea or hot chocolate.
Prior to launching Major Brew, Carl was running Fables Coffee House in the village with his partner of four years, Jess Tandy. When lockdown forced the cafe to close, he got a job at the local Co-op before coming up with the idea to start a coffee business - something he'd been passionate about for years.
As well as the in-house Major Blend coffee, customers will have a choice on different days from more than 20 different flavours from around the world. One day it might be Costa Rican single origin, another day beans from Colombia or Kenya.
The property, previously the Honeypot Cafe, has been transformed using recycled materials, including scaffolding planks turned into for tables just wide enough to place a coffee cup.
The comfy sofas and stools by the window are ideal for people watching but the primary focus is on takeaway drinks.
"Savoury snap" comes in the shape of pasties from the Cornish Pasty Company, sausage rolls and cheese straws - including vegan options.
Those looking for an unbeatable value-for-money deal can buy a pasty and filter coffee for £4.
The location couldn't have worked out better since Major Brew is conveniently next door to Fables enabling the two businesses work in tandem.
Carl said: "It's all table service at Fables - we feel people don't mind that little bit of a wait. If you're sat down chilling out it doesn't matter if your coffee takes ten minutes but for me a takeaway coffee should be a lot quicker.
"It also works as an overspill when Fables is really busy too. It's worked out ever so well."
For now drinks are made with an espresso machine but other brew techniques will be explored in the future, such as pour over and Chemex, which can give a totally different taste, said Carl.
Nottinghamshire Live also contacted the council for their comments on the situation that Mr Wright had described at Sherwood Forest.
Councillor Keith Girling, Chairman of the Economic Development Committee said, “Due to GDPR legislation, I cannot comment on an individual business within the Sherwood Forest Arts and Crafts Visitor Centre (the Centre).
“However, before any Centre tenant signs their tenancy agreement with us, they will be advised, as outlined in their tenant’s lease what they can and cannot sell from their unit.
"This is to ensure that all businesses at the Centre are not in competition with each other which could potentially mean businesses are not profitable or sustainable. Different businesses, offering different products or services enhance the visitor experience encouraging repeat business. It is our responsibility, as landlord, to offer a good tenant mix for both our tenants and businesses alike.”
