Craftworks Art Café - bringing the joy and love of art to all

For people wanting something artistic while sampling some delicious delights, a new Harleston café may be just for you.

Craftworks Art Café opened in The Thoroughfare on Saturday, offering roasted coffees, sourdough toasties, cakes, pastries and a chance for people to be creative.

Jo Shepherd and her husband, Phil, owned a café in London which did ceramic painting, but their life plans took an unexpected turn

Forty-eight-year-old Jo said: “The business was affected by Covid and could not carry on. We always had a plan to come to Norfolk at some point – in 10 years time when our two children were older – but this pushed everything to happen a bit sooner.

“I was not going to do the café thing again and was going to focus on my painting and after school clubs, but when I walked past this building, I fell in love with it.”

Even though Jo studied art in London, she says she is not a teacher, but a facilitator of art, giving people the materials and space to do what they love.

She said: “I want to get art out there for everyone. I started children’s art clubs at first, then found that parents wanted to do it as well, so I started some adult clubs and it has gone from there.”

The café runs a selection of art workshops, too, with artists from the area running them and displaying their work in the café.

On the support she has had, Jo said: “Everyone has been incredible. We came here knowing it was an artistic area, but we did not realise the wealth of talent here – it is just phenomenal.

“I put a Facebook post up about the café and within two hours we had 145 comments, saying things like it was such a great idea and what the town needs – it has been amazing.”

Asked how she would describe Craftworks, Jo added: “I want it to be a hub to the community. It is not a community-run café, but I do want it to be a space for the community.

"You don't have to be doing a class to come in either, you can just come in, have a coffee, meet friends, look at the art and the workshops going on, but maybe if you do fancy it, you could give one a try yourself.”

To find out more about Craftworks Art Café, which opens Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10am to 5pm, go to the Craftworks Facebook page.