Independent businesses on stations?

[Howardh]

Interesting tweet from Northern, made me wonder what businesses are on local stations that, through not using those stations, I might have missed?

Bolton now has a new cafe on the concourse before the gates, and one on P1/3, howeven neither have an alcohol licence and IMO the one on the platform is (a) too expensive (there's a Greggs and a bar opposite competing for business over a cheap brew) and (b) closes too early anyway.

One "hidden" gem is the cafe on Poluton-le_Fylde station and as written on another thread, the new tap bar @ Oxford Road.

Anyway, here's the tweet that you might find interesting, and what independent outlets could you suggest for a visit?

x.com

x.com

Here's a photo dump of just a few independent businesses on our Northern network. Did you know that rail users spend an average of £7 per trip, contributing to £9bn for independent businesses this year? @RailDeliveryGrp

Interested in creating your own space at one of our stations? We have some units at different locations across the North, check them out here https://lsh.co.uk/find/properties?action=search&type=69416d764e4c43e6a4da1000bce0f575%7C46f672d87fcd4cad950439d58abc5bf8

*Shows pictures and locations of available units

 

[DH1Commuter]

Wobbly Aleways at Newcastle Central: beer shop, run by a lovely guy, selling quality booze.

 

[Amlag]

Okehampton stn has a not very busy shop open a couple days a week staffed by the local rail association/ friends group.

 

[themiller]

Carlisle - Caffeine Rush - coffee and tea (& hot chocolate) outlet beside the current main entrance. Pie Demand - tent by the footbridge on platform 4 sells pies etc (baked in their facility in the undercroft at the back of the station and are suppliers to TPE!).
Millom - tickets and snacks run by Millom Heritage Centre.
Barrow in Furness - cafe opposite ticket office.
Grange over Sands - book shop on down platform.

Also vendors in former station land adjacent to stations such as a Booths supermarket at Windermere and cakes and sandwich outlet at Oxenholme.

 

[Howardh]

Carlisle - Caffeine Rush - coffee and tea (& hot chocolate) outlet beside the current main entrance. Pie Demand - tent by the footbridge on platform 4 sells pies etc (baked in their facility in the undercroft at the back of the station and are suppliers to TPE!).
Millom - tickets and snacks run by Millom Heritage Centre.
Barrow in Furness - cafe opposite ticket office.
Grange over Sands - book shop on down platform.

Also vendors in former station land adjacent to stations such as a Booths supermarket at Windermere and cakes and sandwich outlet at Oxenholme.

Oh yes, that's a hidden secret - the "farm" shop behind the station, David Willan's, wonderful beers and pies!

 

[route101]

Wobbly Aleways at Newcastle Central: beer shop, run by a lovely guy, selling quality booze.

There was a beer shop at Newcastle before, Centrale. Is it in the same place?

 

[Tetchytyke]

Carlisle - Caffeine Rush - coffee and tea (& hot chocolate) outlet beside the current main entrance.

I'm really pleased they're still going, it's years since I've been to Carlisle but I feared that the Costa outlet would put them out of business.

My knowledge is limited more to the well-known places: the pubs at Stalybridge and Huddersfield (if we still count the Head of Steam chain independent...), the trolley on the S&C, that sort of thing.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Grange over Sands - book shop on down platform.

That was 'Over Sands' books in the old waiting room but has now permanently closed at the station, hasn't it? (Although think the business is maybe still online).

 

[DH1Commuter]

There was a beer shop at Newcastle before, Centrale. Is it in the same place?

Yes, new owner after the Centrale guy retired.

 

[185]

I note the mention of Okehampton. Lovely staff, but disappointingly expensive.

 

[D6130]

Interesting tweet from Northern, made me wonder what businesses are on local stations that, through not using those stations, I might have missed?

Bolton now has a new cafe on the concourse before the gates, and one on P1/3, howeven neither have an alcohol licence and IMO the one on the platform is (a) too expensive (there's a Greggs and a bar opposite competing for business over a cheap brew) and (b) closes too early anyway.

One "hidden" gem is the cafe on Poluton-le_Fylde station and as written on another thread, the new tap bar @ Oxford Road.

Anyway, here's the tweet that you might find interesting, and what independent outlets could you suggest for a visit?

A planning application has been submitted by a local microbrewery to open a tap room in the vacant rooms on platform 2 at Hebden Bridge station shown in the advert. Unfortunately the Friends of Hebden Bridge station are vehemently opposed to it because it would involve reducing the size of the existing waiting room by a third in order to create space for a beer cold store. There is of course already an excellent long-standing independent cafe at the other end of the platform.

 

[route101]

Carlisle - Caffeine Rush - coffee and tea (& hot chocolate) outlet beside the current main entrance. Pie Demand - tent by the footbridge on platform 4 sells pies etc (baked in their facility in the undercroft at the back of the station and are suppliers to TPE!).
Millom - tickets and snacks run by Millom Heritage Centre.
Barrow in Furness - cafe opposite ticket office.
Grange over Sands - book shop on down platform.

Also vendors in former station land adjacent to stations such as a Booths supermarket at Windermere and cakes and sandwich outlet at Oxenholme.

I need to try a pie from Pie demand, are they good?

 

[trainmania100]

Lewes has two independent non franchised coffee shops.

 

[Cricketer8for9]

The tea/coffee hole in the wall at Sanderstead has relatively recently reopened following a COVID shutdown. Belongs to the cafe in the nearby parade. Not sure it would count in the worth visiting category nor would the coffee stand at Homerton (though it might be interesting to see quite how busy a two platform station can be in a densely populated part of London.)

 

[NeilCr]

Decent independent coffee shop at Margate with reasonably priced wine!

 

[John Luxton]

Bodmin & Wenford Railway operate cafés at Liskeard Station and in the old signalbox at Bodmin Parkway. This year they have also have a mobile catering trailer at Penzance station which replaced one from another independent. I think there is also a fairly new cafe The Coffee Carriage which has opened recently. There are also independent cafes within the station buildings at New Brighton and West Kirby Stations as well.

The Buffet at Llandudno Junction has also recently reopened - "Porters". Betws-y-Coed Station has a number of retail oulets in the station building including food.

 

[TrainBoy98]

In my neck of the woods:

Barnham has two, a hole in the wall type coffee place on Platform 3 and the Interchange Cafe on Plat1/2 (surprisingly good and not too pricey - sausage bap and coffee for £4)

Angmering has a hole in the wall too, but they do sandwiches etc in the morning peak.

 

[I'm here now]

The Caf at Redruth is class with a whole selection of instant coffees to tend to your palate! One at St Erth a bit naf and expensive, now owned by Bodmin Railway lot.

 

[xotGD]

We now have a coffee hut on P1 at Bingley. There is vacant space in the main station buildings, but no takers as far as I am aware.

Keighley has a whole independent railway occupying half of the station! Plus, the KWVR runs the Old Parcels Office eatery on the station at concourse level.

Skipton has a little cubby hole where you can buy refreshments.

There's an Indian restaurant on the station at Church Fenton.

 

[01d-and]

Curlew Espresso at Bromsgrove station.

 

[Revilo]

Yatton has the Strawberry Line cafe, a not-for-profit community-run cafe. Very nice and some books etc to read while eating too!

 

[43066]

Chislehurst has a fish/seafood restaurant inside part of the old station building, a newsagent near the ticket office and there’s also a decent independently owned coffee shop.

 

[Haywain]

Sherborne station had an independent cafe on the platform when I was there last year, and it was very popular.

 

[scrapy]

Interesting tweet from Northern, made me wonder what businesses are on local stations that, through not using those stations, I might have missed?

Bolton now has a new cafe on the concourse before the gates, and one on P1/3, howeven neither have an alcohol licence and IMO the one on the platform is (a) too expensive (there's a Greggs and a bar opposite competing for business over a cheap brew) and (b) closes too early anyway.

One "hidden" gem is the cafe on Poluton-le_Fylde station and as written on another thread, the new tap bar @ Oxford Road.

Anyway, here's the tweet that you might find interesting, and what independent outlets could you suggest for a visit?

Bolton new cafe is the same people that run Poultons cafe, they also have sites at Blackpool North and Rochdale now.

The cafe on platform 1-3 is far from independent. It's SSP who are the biggest food/beverage operators at transport hubs in the UK. They took over from the independent operator about 2018.

 

[Alfonso]

Sherborne station had an independent cafe on the platform when I was there last year, and it was very popular.

Further west, Axminster has a nice cafe and Honiton has a hole in the wall coffee shop

 

[bishdunster]

Is the cafe on Axminster down platform still there ?

 

[Flange Squeal]

Alton platform 1 has the independent 'hole in the wall' style Whistle Stop Newsagent (not to be confused with the Whistlestop brand used for shops at stations such as Waterloo which I suspect may be an SSP brand), selling papers, sandwiches, drinks, confectionary and some hot food (bacon baps, sausage rolls etc).

I believe the Earlsfield platform 2 coffee stand named Reach is an independent affair selling drinks, pastries and a few other bits. The same owners have/had a couple of mobile coffee vans parked outside Barnes and Hampton Wick stations.

 

[kkong]

Inverurie - Cocoworks
- Cafe with seating indoors and on the platform.

Nairn - The Coffee Station
- Hot filled rolls, home bakes, with seating on the platform.

 

[xotGD]

The cafe on Middlesbrough station serves some of the best coffee I've ever tasted.

 

[CarltonA]

Not sure if the station cafe at Grindleford is actually on railway land. It was very eccentric when I had a break there.