Independent County Durham café brings new visitors and daily activity to Sherburn Hill

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The Carthouse Café at The Old Curio is giving residents and visitors a new reason to meet, eat and spend time in the former mining community

An independent café and antiques destination is helping to bring regular visitors and renewed activity to Sherburn Hill, demonstrating the role distinctive small businesses can play in communities with limited hospitality and visitor attractions.

The Carthouse Café operates within The Old Curio on Front Street, where food, antiques and vintage furniture have been brought together inside a restored historic building.

Since opening in August 2025, the venue has attracted residents alongside customers travelling from across County Durham and the wider North East.

Visitors can stop for breakfast, lunch, homemade cakes or afternoon tea before browsing Durham Antiques Cooperative and Vintage Sofa Warehouse. By combining several experiences under one roof, The Old Curio encourages customers to stay longer than they might during a conventional café visit.

Owner Nikki said:

“Before we opened, there were very few reasons for people from outside the immediate area to make Sherburn Hill their destination. We are now welcoming customers who have travelled from across County Durham and beyond to visit the café, explore the antiques centre and browse the furniture.”

“That is important to us because every person who visits is bringing activity into the village. They are discovering Sherburn Hill, meeting our dealers and staff, and often returning with friends or relatives.”

The café has been designed as more than somewhere to purchase food and leave. Staff are encouraged to get to know regular visitors and spend time speaking with customers, creating a relaxed environment in which people can meet friends, catch up with neighbours or enjoy time on their own.

Its heritage-inspired interior features chandeliers, vintage furniture, antique details, William Morris-inspired patterns and traditional china, creating an experience deliberately removed from standardised, fast-paced hospitality.

Nikki said:

“We have always wanted The Old Curio to be somewhere people feel comfortable spending time. Someone might come to meet friends, catch up with neighbours, enjoy a quiet cup of tea or simply take a break from the day.”

“Creating that sense of welcome and connection is just as important to us as the food we serve.”

The contribution made by welcoming local venues is receiving increasing national attention.

Government research into the connection between local environments and social relationships found that participants believed the decline of high streets and the closure of pubs and other meeting places had reduced opportunities to socialise locally.

The research highlighted the importance of maintaining local shops, facilities and physical spaces in which people can meet.

Separate analysis from the Office for National Statistics found that people living in more rural local-authority areas are generally less likely to live close to a recognised high street than those in areas containing large urban centres.

Although The Carthouse Café is a commercial independent business rather than a formal community centre, Nikki believes venues such as cafés can still provide valuable everyday places for contact and conversation.

She said:

“Not every important community interaction happens at an organised event. It can be two neighbours having coffee, a regular customer being greeted by name or someone having a conversation when they might otherwise have spent the day alone.”

“We cannot solve every challenge faced by a village, but we can create a warm, dependable place where people know they will be welcomed.”

The Old Curio also gives independent antiques dealers a permanent place from which to develop their own businesses. Dealers can spend time on site, meet customers and share the stories and specialist knowledge behind their stock.

The destination is preparing to celebrate the first anniversary of its café and antiques centre on 1 August 2026.

Future plans include seasonal workshops, an expanded programme of afternoon-tea experiences, additional visitor parking subject to planning permission, and the restoration of a long-unused garden as an outdoor café and community space.

Nikki added:

“The response has shown that people value independent places with personality. Our aim is to keep giving residents and visitors a genuine reason to come to Sherburn Hill, spend time here and return.”

The Carthouse Café is located at The Old Curio, Front Street, Sherburn Hill, County Durham, DH6 1PA.

Nikki is available for interview about independent hospitality, village life, entrepreneurship, customer connection and the role of welcoming social venues in smaller communities.