A SET of best friends – turned business partners – have opened up a trendy coffee shop in the former Railway Pub which they used to drink in.

Toast - set up by Katherine Hibbert and Stuart Lawton, who are both based in Latchford and became friends at Cardinal Newman Catholic High School - sits on the corner of Knutsford Road and opened last Friday.

They serve toasties, sandwiches, breakfasts, lunches, hot drinks, cakes and more and Katherine, a former dental nurse in Lymm and Padgate for 20 years, cannot wait to welcome more customers.

She said: “I’m really looking forward to it and I’m sure it will be a rollercoaster.

“I love cooking and making stews and curries so getting into the winter hopefully that will pull people through the door when the lads have been out working all day and they want something warm.

“We believe we’ve got good produce so we’ve just got to put it together and make it look and taste good.

“It just felt like I can work with this now as my kids are a bit older.”

Katherine used to drink in the former Railway pub in a place she can now call her own.

After Stuart, 42, spotted the building on a dog walk, they thought the room might be a little too small to keep stock in but once they found another room in the building, it was all good to go.

Katherine added: “I love it because it’s a beautiful building.

“When we saw the other room I thought it will definitely work now and then it went from looking at it to moving really quickly.

 

They are based in the former Railway pub

They are based in the former Railway pub

 

“The welcome has been dead nice we’ve had loads of support from friends, family and people we don’t even know – everyone seems to have a little bit of a buzz about it.

“We’re local as well so me and Stuart have been brought up in Latchford so we’ve got a lot of support in that sense.

“We didn’t see each other after school but met again at V Festival in 2007 and we’ve been mates since.

“I think there will definitely be a few familiar faces and because I’ve worked in Lymm, bars and the Connie Club (Warrington Conservative Club) in town, you get to know people.

“Hopefully we will make some new friends as well.”

Katherine has ensured that the pair shop local.

They have fruit and vegetables from the market, bread from Mamar’s, meat from Houghton’s and coffee from Lost Barn in Cheshire.

 

Customers can eat inside or take their food and drink away

 

The 41-year-old continued: “We’re trying to stay as eco-friendly as possible and shop local.

“With Covid, it’s good that all the little independents can be supported and up everyone’s up for trying to get the high street up and running again so hopefully we will be part of it and I’m looking forward to it – we’ve just got to make some good food now.”

Albeit it is a new challenge for Katherine, she is taking on a girl with experience in sandwich shops and has had some experience people approach her so is ready for the test.

“I’m sure they will teach me a few things,” she joked.

“We’re made up with it.”

Toast is open from 8am weekdays, 9am on Saturday and 10am on a Sunday until and stays open flexibly until the afternoon.