Bury Market: Woman's affordable café a hit with visitors

Alex Goulding, 35, opened Alex’s Café last month and it has gone from strength to strength since opening.

Originally from Walmersley, Alex said she grew up in poverty and was told she would never amount to anything.

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She said: “I struggled when I was younger with poverty, I grew up with nothing.

“My mum was a single parent and teachers at school always used to say I’d go nowhere.

“So going from that, to struggling at college, I ended up doing an apprenticeship in catering, it’s been hard, and I had kids young.

“But now I’ve got my own business and it’s doing really well.”

After achieving her catering apprenticeship, she moved to Bolton and worked in hotels and other places before deciding to move back to her hometown and open a café in Bury Market.

The café is reasonably priced with a full English breakfast starting at just £3, and then they sell bigger ones for £4.50 (traditional breakfast) as well as a larger dish, a "Bury belly buster".

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Alex said: “It’s reasonably priced for a reason, because of the way the economy is at the moment.

“I’m keeping it low for pensioners to afford to come out and eat, as well as students.

“People come from all over the country to Bury Market, so it’s been getting good reviews online already.

"I didn’t think it’d be a massive hit with the students but even they’re coming so I’ve had to open up on extra days.

“I’m open from Tuesday to Saturday. It’s definitely taken off.”

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Although the café mainly focuses on breakfasts, it offers a lunch menu and serves food like burgers, fish and chips and toasties.

Alex added: “We’re toying with the idea of possibly putting foods on like kebabs but we’re not there yet.

“But people mainly come in for breakfasts and brews.”