High Street Spotlight: Cherizena Coffee at The Governor’s House, Newark, kicks off second year at premises with new deli offering local produce
A town centre business has expanded to offer a deli filled with local produce, a year after opening its doors.
Cherizena Coffee opened its doors at The Governor’s House, on Stodman Street, in late 2023, after owner Tanith Wesson met new landlord Brendan Minihane while holding a stall on Newark Market Place.
Now, a year down the line, the café-come-tea and coffee shop has gone from strength to strength and become a pillar of Newark’s community, welcoming numerous regular customers weekly or even daily.
The business was previously based a Belvoir Castle’s Engine Yard, but after Tanith’s lease there wasn’t renewed, she took on a market stall in Newark.
Tanith said: “This building came up really as an opportunity we weren’t looking for. How it’s grown over the last year has been amazing really.
“We’ve definitely got busier — based on word of mouth mostly as we don’t do much advertising. People come in and say they heard about us from a friend.
“I think the Newark people have been very welcoming and the support of our landlord has been very valuable.”
The latest addition to its multifaceted offering is a deli — stocking a variety of local produce as well as Cherizena’s loose leaf tea and coffee beans.
It opened for the first time on Saturday, at the front of the building, for shoppers to stock up on tasty treats such as honey, jams, chutney, Welbeck Bakery bread, chocolates, and biscuits.
There are also samosas from Melton, pork pies from Bottesford, scotch eggs from Heanor, and yoghurts from Thrussington.
Tanith is also keen to hear from any other Newark-area producers who would like to stock their wares at the deli.
“The deli will add a place for local producers where we can sell their products,” Tanith added.
“We will stock as much local produce as we can.
“People have been really complementary about it, it was good to open on a day with the market on as well.”
This ethos runs throughout the business, with the café boasting homemade cakes, gluten free cakes from Navenby-based Robin Rose Bakes — who in return stocks Cherizena coffee — as well as homemade meals and afternoon teas with ingredients sourced nearby.
Tanith added: “We always try to use as local as possible — butchers, bakers… candlestick makers.”
The new deli is in addition to the space being used by community groups including poetry and Italian language groups, as well as Cherizena’s monthly evening tasting events.
The next of these is to be a ‘Taste of Mexico’, on Friday, February 21. Previous evenings have included five-course tasting menus exploring cuisine from Scotland, Italy, Cyprus, Spain, and France.
Looking forward, the business aims to have a downstairs toilet installed for customers, to help make the building more accessible and plans to seek funding or sponsorship to help make this a reality.