Couple's cafe leap of faith reaping rewards with award nomination after just five months

Nick and Jenny Barratt, from Oakengates, took over Truffles Cafe in Ironbridge in September last year.

It was a major change for the pair, with Nick giving up a job at Aldi, to pursue his long held ambition of cooking for a living.

The couple, who have six children, had been looking for a change of scene and a business to run themselves, and Truffles on the Wharfage in Ironbridge proved a match made in heaven – the historic town was also where Nick and Jenny enjoyed their first date, and then got married.

Nick had trained as a chef when he left school but the latest move has seen him return to the industry he loves.

He said they had been thrilled at the reception from the community since opening, and added that his own mission has always been to make people happy through food.

And one of the ways he is doing that is using his mum's old recipes.

Nick said: "I really wanted to bring my mum's cooking to life. She has been dead for six years but I loved her cooking so we have introduced some main meals with some of my mum's favourites and people have really been loving them."

The menu has included stew, curry, chilli, fish and chips, ham egg and chips – and of course a classic full English cooked breakfast.

Nick said: "The reaction has been nothing but fantastic, we are building a lot of good relationships with customers. We have got a really strong customer base and that is growing all the time."

Nick said they were delighted at the way the first few months had gone – with the only regret that they didn't do it earlier.

He added: "We want it to be a real family cafe and when people come here I want them to feel like they are coming in for one of mum's meals."

The cafe has been nominated in the Shropshire section of the England Business Awards – and will now be assessed by a mystery shopper visit before judges decide it they will make the final.

Nick said they were pleased the nomination – particularly because they come from customers who put businesses forwards for the awards.