Not to be confused with Ruddington’s most famous feline, the legendary Wilbur (who mostly pretends to have no owner at all! – Ed), this Cat is the popular Café which sits at the corner of High Street and Parkyns Street.
It may seem as if Julie Smith has been here forever, since she’s so quickly become a major player in our village community. In fact, it’s only four years since she took over the Mathew’s Café and Deli business and rebranded it as The Black Cat Café.
When RUDDINGTON.info spoke to Julie in October 2016 she told us how she’d always wanted a café, since being a teenager, and had finally realised her dream by serving breakfasts to the village of Ruddington. However, this Sunday, that’s all over when she hands the keys to new owners Michael Gregson (pictured top, familiarising himself with the premises) and his partner Danielle Morton.
Julie explains: “It has also always been a dream for Adrian and me to retire at 50. This milestone, which I celebrated very quietly, passed in August. Although we will be keeping the accounting business running, we would also love to spend a few years travelling. Okay, so travelling is off the table at the moment, but there are corners of the UK which are so beautiful and enriching we can start right here on our doorstep” says Julie.
And Ruddington won’t be losing the nationally recognised female entrepreneur altogether since she promises to continue to be an active member of the Ruddington Village Centre Partnership, which she helped to form in 2018: “I am keen to help them with their YouNGs project initiative (helping young start-up entrepreneurs), and in the short term will still be helping with this year’s Christmas Traders’ collaborations and celebrations.”
Julie adds: “The village is a wonderful place to live, and I feel very lucky of the support we have had these past months and through ‘lockdown’. The journey has been amazing, and I have loved to work with the Renew project, the schools and RACS in providing a place where community can be brought together.”
New owner Michael admits he is very ambitious: “We hope to build upon what Julie has already done. We have many plans but, for now, we are finding our feet. Danielle is a school teacher on maternity leave. Between us we have three children. I was an operations director for an event production company in Leicester. However, due to the downturn because of COVID-19, I decided to look for new opportunities” he explains.
“We live over in East Leake and both decided to pursue our ambition to buy a café. As Ruddington is only ten minutes from our house we thought the Black Cat was purrrrrfect! We are an existing fixture at the Ruddington Market and we also hope to build upon that – and have a stall at other local farmers and food markets including east Leake, Bingham and Castle Donington.”
Michael adds: “I will predominately be running the business day to day whilst Danielle is on maternity leave.”
Wishing them both well, Julie has the final word: “Our customers will be glad to know that all our staff will be staying with Black Cat Café as it ventures forward. And you will still be able to buy our handmade scotch eggs and sausage rolls in store and at the Ruddington Village Market, as always!”
