Northern Ivy Cafe opens in Smithills

Kelly Oakley, 41, and John Oakley, 43, from Darcy Lever have opened The Northern Ivy Café in Smithills after a search for the perfect place over some years.

The new business which has opened at the northern end of Ivy Road near to the junction of Elgin Street and is designed to offer people a "cosy atmosphere, friendly faces, and delicious food".

And Kelly said all her dreams have come true with its opening.

Northern Ivy Cafe (Image: Northern Ivy Cafe)

She said: “It has been a dream for many years to open a café, I’ve always wanted to do it but never had the right place or the right area but then this came up and it was just the perfect opportunity.

“Me and my husband had thought about opening a café for years but never had the funds and then we came into a situation where we could buy, we didn’t have the venue and then this came up and we just thought this is perfect.

“People can expect friendly faces, friendly service, really good food, we have a really good chef, and we do a variety of things and most importantly we cater for the community.

“When I designed it, I wanted to make sure I had enough space for wheelchair users and a ramp, so they could come in.

Decor inside the cafe (Image: Northern Ivy Cafe)

“In this area you have got a lot of elderly around here and a few nursing homes so I wanted to accommodate to them and make sure that they had enough room and could also access our café.

“I’m really excited about opening the café but nervous at the same time, it’s a really mad feeling.

“Because it is starting from scratch and there is so much to think about, I’m lay in bed at night and waking up thinking oh no I’ve not got barms, oh no I’ve not got crisps, it’s been hard but hopefully it will be worth it.”

Kelly said the response she has received so far since opening this week has been amazing.

She said: “The response has been good, really good, we have had really good feedback, they are really impressed when they come in and see the artwork and the décor and the vibe, I am getting so far from people is really good.”

Inside of Northern Ivy Cafe (Image: Northern Ivy Cafe)

Kelly said the inspiration for the name came from the area itself, she said: “We’re on Ivy Road and we are up north so I just thought it was a perfect name.”

The menu includes breakfast options including a full English, sandwiches, smashed avocado and then other brunch options including relax and graze platters to share and delicious sandwiches.

There are also grab and go options and specials of the day on offer, with different treats each day.

The Northern Ivy Café will be open Tuesday to Sunday.

Opening times from Tuesday to Friday are 7.30am to 4.30pm, Saturday 9am to 3pm and Sunday 10am to 4pm.