Couple brews up cafe’s 40th anniversary

Nigel and Yvonne Callaghan recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Coffee Shop Café, where they have served around five million customers.

When they first opened, the couple were selling a cup of tea for 6p and coffee for 7p.

Mr Callaghan said: “When we first opened in 1975, about 80 per cent of our customers wanted a cup of tea, while around 20 per cent would go for a cup of coffee.

“Today there has been a reversal, with our customers now asking for early morning lattes, cappuccinos or Americanos and only 20 per cent wanting a traditional cup of tea.

“It does involve long hours, and I guess between us, Yvonne and I have put in more than 260,000.

“However, hearing customers telling us how much they enjoy calling in makes it all worthwhile.”

The couple have also taken part in a number of community days in the bus station, helping to raise more than £10,000 for Pontefract’s Prince of Wales Hospice.

Coun Keith Wakefield, chairman of West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: “I want to congratulate Nigel and Yvonne on 40 years of first class service.

“Thanks to their hard work and the warm welcome everyone receives from Nigel and Yvonne, the Coffee Shop Café has become an institution at Pontefract Bus Station.

“Along with manager Liam and his team, they do a sterling job looking after the hundreds of thousands of passengers that use our Pontefract Bus Station every year and they always play an active role in the fundraising community days.”