Merrie England: Famous Huddersfield coffee shop and drive through sold and due to reopen in October
A famous Yorkshire coffee shop is set for a new lease of life.
The Merrie England coffee shop and drive-through in Huddersfield has been sold out of liquidation to a local family business owner, who plans to upgrade and reopen the venue next month.
The venue on New Hey Road in Oakes has been acquired by the Bowley family, owners of Horticentre Garden Centre in Wakefield, which also includes the SeedRoom café and bistro.
Horticentre founder and director Martin Bowley has acquired the Merrie England brand, together with the lease and assets of the New Hey Road business, and plans to reopen the coffee shop and drive-through in October after investing to modernise the site.
The sale follows the closure of Merrie England’s seven West Yorkshire sites in August, after a prolonged period of challenging trading conditions.
Dave Broadbent of BTG and David Robson of Gaines Robson were appointed as joint liquidators of Merrie England Coffee Shops Limited on 11 August. BPI Asset Advisory was instructed to market the business and its assets for sale.
A spokesman said the New Hey Road café in Oakes is the first of the former Merrie England sites to be sold, with the transaction securing its future.
Martin Bowley said: “We are really excited about the future for the Oakes coffee shop. We plan to make a major investment in modernising the site, while keeping the unique style and décor of the Merrie England brand that customers know and love.
“People will be happy to know that we will only be making minor changes to the menu and all the traditional favourites will remain. Everything will be made from quality, locally sourced ingredients, where possible, and coupled with excellent service.”
He added: “We are also hoping to be able to employ many of the original team to provide continuity for customers and to help us return Merrie England to its status as a great coffee shop.”