Member Article

Sheffield Coffee Shop Reports Soaring Success

Sheffield-based Marmadukes has announced a ‘record year’ for owners Tim and Clare Nye, who purchased the deli space in 2012 - doubling its workforce and quadrupling its turnover following a management shift.

Formerly known as 22a the business, which is based on Norfolk Row in the city centre, had been turning over around £200k per annum when it was taken over by the current management team

Now, just four years on, the couple are on track to reach turnover in excess of £800k in the year ending December 2016, with the deli’s employee headcount now at 25 which includes a full time head chef, kitchen staff, five qualified baristas and 16 serving staff.

With ongoing support from law firm Banner Jones’ Director Andrew Fielder, Tim and Clare carried out a full rebrand in 2013 before going on to purchase the upstairs of the premises in 2015 which they converted into an on-site bakery. Work on the new facility completed in April 2015.

Since then, the expansion has allowed Marmadukes to offer customers a quintessentially independent experience, and the deli now has a strong reputation for its food – all of which is produced locally and prepared on-site.

The company’s significant growth has also allowed the owners to invest significant time and resource into their coffee offering, which is now renowned across the country. Unusually for an independent, the café offers ‘pour overs’ and aeropress, and owners Tim and Clare are supporting a number of their own staff who are looking to open their own cafes in due course.

“We’re openly encouraging this as we would like to see the independent market in Sheffield thrive. Independents can make a huge impression by not compromising on quality, which makes it harder for the large chains to swoop in,” said Tim. “To put that into perspective, at Marmadukes we spend approximately £18 per bag of coffee, whereas other coffee shops would pay around £4.

“What we have learnt since the crash in 2007 is that coffee is ‘recession proof’,” he added. “People need their cuppa come what may, so we want to ensure that we offer the quality and the experience that people are looking for.”

In 2017 the business has plans to fully resolve the fundamentals of the business, such as trademarking its branding, before undertaking any further expansion. “It’s good to be ambitious, and we are, but it can also lead to the undoing of a business,” said Tim. “We want to ensure we have taken stock and set out a strategy before embarking on the next big step.”

Andrew Fielder of Banner Jones said: “It is great to see a Sheffield-based family owned business go from strength to strength, and that the owner’s success is having a knock on effect to a growing workforce.

“Marmadukes has strong prospects for the future, and with the acquisition of the upstairs of the Norfolk Row premises in Spring 2015, it is apparent that they have all of the ingredients they need to take the business to the next level.”

Speaking of the transparent and honest legal advice the business has received from legal advisor Andrew Fielder of Banner Jones, Tim said: “It may sound simple, but for a small business going through a time of significant change we were relieved to have a legal representative that we could rely on and trust.

“The expansion into the upstairs of the premises has been a real game changer for us – allowing us to invest in our own bakery which means we can prepare all of our food on-site. The process would have been considerably more stressful had we not has the support of Andrew and the rest of the team.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sarah Steel .