Shoppers voiced their disappointment as a 'friendly' Nottinghamshire cafe confirmed it was closing. Carriages Cafe in Newark shut for the final time on Sunday, June 19, after going into liquidation.
Based at Newark Castle Train Station, the café was loved by the community who enjoyed its nostalgic setting. Before the pandemic, the cafe was popular for its three-course meal for £3 for those most in need. The kindness of the staff continued throughout the pandemic, when they provided hundreds of meals to vulnerable people, to make sure that they didn't go hungry.
Retired Mel Cooper, 76, of Newark said: "We used to go there. They tried to be more old-worldy than modern places. There were friendly people and it was a good place to stop when you were waiting for a train.
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Mel continued: "We used to call in on the way back as well, it's a bit of a shock really. They tried their hardest to stay there for while as it was just a little bit of a cafe before they got there and they made it a lot better."
Retired, Andrew Jackson, 70, of Balderton, said: "I did go there a while ago. I didn't know it had closed. I thought that it was a great place." Retired, Robert Archer, 85, of Newark said: "That will be a shame, we usually went in. It was what you expect from a café at a train station."
When asked if they used the cafe, another Newark resident said "only when I was going on the train". She expressed her disappointment that Carriages was closing and said that "there's nothing else" like it in the area.
Former Newark resident Mel Coton, 36, described the cafe closing as "sad" and remembers when it first opened. Mel said: "Always a delicious lunch, not to mention a fabulous wedding reception."
Retired, Paul Holland, 74, of Newark, added: "I used it once or twice, and I'm sad to see it close. I thought it was a good place, I normally used it for coffee before getting on the train."
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