Popular Bury Market café for sale after 20 years

Darren Fletcher, 51, owner of The Bury Roast Company, has made the tough decision to leave Bury’s famous market after 30 years of trading there.

Situated in what he calls the ‘best spot in Bury’, the prime location took Darren 10 years to acquire.

He said: “I have been on the market for 30 years, starting when I was 21.

"I was working in a clothes shop in Manchester but had always wanted to work for myself.

“I saw an advert for a rotisserie chicken shop in the Bury Times and took my chances.

"From there, I owned my second business, BBQ Barn in the Market Hall before I notice that a clothes shop in the square of Bury Market was up for sale.  

The Bury Roast Company on Bury Market

"My and my mum agreed we could convert it into a café, the guy sold it to us and after 10 years on the market, we secured the prime location we are at today.”

The Bury Roast Company has been operating for 20 years, and Darren is currently managing three companies along with his wife, Lorraine Fletcher, 49.

Darren and his Wife Lorraine

He said: “I’m spinning plates and putting fires out at the moment and have spread myself a bit thin. We are working from 6am til 8pm managing three businesses.

“We created another business just before the lockdown, Gourmet Galley Catering, but had to adapt it due to Covid.  

“We used the website to try and sell some of the products on Facebook, and it wasn’t long before we were going to houses with afternoon teas, Greek salads, tapas boards and sandwich platters.

“Because no-one could really go out or go on holiday people would order these platters to make up for it.”

Gourmet Galley Catering was initially set up by Darren's wife, Lorraine, after she was made redundant by Thomas Cook.

He said: “My wife was working for Thomas Cook for 25 years as a cabin manager until she found out from Sky News on a Monday night that she was being made redundant.

“That’s how Gourmet Galley came around.

"The only other ‘hiccup’ was when we began the business, Covid hit and we had two more years of stress and worry.

“But now, looking back, we have been able to create something good out of all of that bad and after those years of worry, the sky is the limit.

Inside the Bury Roast Company

“Since everyone has gone back to the office Gourmet Galley Catering has just gone crazy, especially with corporate orders.

“It is a breath of fresh air for me, I enjoy it and it is nice to see something that we have both put our heart and souls into, work so well.”

Since placing an advert on Facebook for his business, the phone has not stopped ringing says Darren, who wants the shop to go to anyone with similar ‘oomph and passion’.

For further information on the stall contact Darren on 07973 273705