Carole chases her cafe dream

THE credit crunch is a worrying time, with job insecurity a real problem for people with mortgages and bills to pay. Many will find themselves suddenly without a job, and forced to look for a different path in life.

But for one woman, the recession prompted her to follow her life’s dream, giving up a steady job as a college tutor to run a village cafe. She told reporter Marina Berry how the move had changed her life.

Carole Street-Brown taught hair and beauty for six years at Tameside College before the chance came to change her life.

“I had been in the job of hair and beauty all my life, working for myself until I got the teaching post,” she said.

Carole, from Greenfield, was one of those people who had always wanted a cafe — a dream which will strike a note for many women stuck in a less than fulfilling nine-to-five job.

“I lived in Cornwall for a year, and there was a little cafe there I had always wanted to run,” she recalled.

“But there was always some reason I couldn’t do it, so when I saw the ‘cafe for lease’ board up here, I couldn’t resist having a look.”

The place was called Riverside, in High Street, Uppermill, and true to its name, by the river.

“I always thought it looked nice, and when I walked in it just felt right,” said Carole, who lives in Beech Avenue.

She decided to give it a go, but found herself fighting her corner when she made the announcement.

“Everyone thought I was taking a big risk. We were in a bad recession and some said I must be mad.

“But I thought the recession meant a lot of people would be staying at home instead of going away on holidays, and Saddleworth is an area where people like to visit — the only thing I had to do was offer home-cooked quality food at a reasonable price,” she explained.

Carole’s husband, Jimmy, was not quite so enthusiastic, pointing out that at 50-something — Carole is coy about her age — the whole family would suffer if it didn’t take off.

But she finally won his support, put in her bid, and was handed the keys for Riverside cafe, which also has two bed and breakfast rooms, in early May.

She gave herself less than two weeks grace until opening day, and family and friends descended in force to clean and decorate, shop and plan menus, creating a whirl of activity to carry her along.

“It was all hands on deck, we worked until really late, and one night I was so tired I mopped the floor with my eyes closed,” laughed Carole.

Then as time ticked away and the hour of opening loomed, her nerves almost got the better of her.

“I love cooking, my mother was a chef and I helped her cook for outside functions, but I had never done it professionally. My second son, Nicholas, and his wife Krista are chefs and have worked all over the world.

“They just happened to be home from Switzerland at the time and they were so excited for me. They helped write the menus and it was just magical watching them in the kitchen, they were so organised.”

The pair’s influence had Carole making her own corned beef and beans — no tinned versions for them.

And the day before the opening, on May 14, they cooked everything on the menu and had a big family tasting party.

“It was wonderful, but Nick and Krista flew home in the afternoon, and I felt as though my lifeline had been cut,” said Carole.

“They were so professional and in control, it was like I was their helper, then suddenly they had gone and it was all down to me.

“I had a bit of a panic, but each time I made something and it was good, I felt I had jumped another hurdle and it boosted my confidence.” Now, three months on, Carole is loving every minute.

“I feel I’m in my stride, I love cooking, I love meeting people, I am enjoying making people happy, and I’m very lucky to still get lots of help from my family,” she said.

Her son Daniel (30), works with her, her youngest son, Luke (22) helps when he is not at university, her sister Dawn helps as often as she can, and sister Tina helps out after work as a teaching assistant on Thursdays to Sundays.

“I knew it was going to be hard because I can’t afford to take on staff yet, but it’s harder than I thought it would be,” said Carole.

And her advice for anyone else thinking of making a big change?

“Go for it. People of my age often think of slowing down, but I believe you are never at an age where it is too late to do something you really want to do

“Teaching was never for me, I’m a ‘doing’ person, and I am absolutely loving every single day.”