Five minutes with... Yvonne Chalmers, co-owner of Bojangles Bistro Cafe, Appleby

Where are you from and what did you want to be when you left school?

I am from Newcastle and I always wanted to be a mum — though I was interested in design and books. Working in a bookshop would have been my dream job.

Now I am even more lucky. I am a mum and I have Bojangles which I enjoyed designing the décor for. I set up a book club and we have a resident artist.

I started the book club when we bought the place, and we have some very loyal members who have been with us from the start — though we always welcome new readers to join us. There are usually between 20-25 people coming along and we meet every four to six weeks, always on a Thursday. There is no charge and it’s a lovely evening which I look forward to. We decided to hold the group in the evenings, so people who worked could come along.

We also have a resident artist, Val Stamper, who runs an art group for 12-14 people regularly at Bojangles. I love being able to support local artists by exhibiting their work in the cafe.

What inspired you to start your food journey?

I started as a waitress and ended up in the kitchen! I fell into catering by accident. However, I have found I have a passion for it. When the opportunity came up to buy Bojangles 13 years ago we just knew it was the right thing for us to do. Like being a mum, running a cafe bistro is about caring for people, our customers.

How did you start your business?

I worked for the previous owners of Bojangles, and when they decided to sell it was too good an opportunity to miss. My husband, James and I bought the cafe bistro together and he is a great support and part of the team here.

What is the most popular dish on your menu?

We are famous locally for our savoury and sweet scones and freshly baked cakes which Ruby makes for us. The most popular dish on our menu has to be our full English breakfast — with sausages from our local butcher, Dowdings in Appleby. Also, our Sunday lunches are very popular, and it’s advisable to book as we are often full. Again we source our meat from Dowdings. Also, Ruby’s homemade steak pie is a popular choice on our menu.

How would you describe your role in the business?

I would say I am a dog’s body! Because I have done every role in catering from clearing tables, and waitressing to cooking. I can turn my hand to anything that needs doing. However, I have a fantastic team who I can always rely upon. We work together to ensure our customers have the best experience.

What do you like most about running a food business in this part of Cumbria?

It is the people that make working in Appleby so special. With locals and tourists, there is something different every day. We are so lucky to have such great support from local people, our regular customers.

Being in the Eden Valley, we also have great local produce right on our doorstep which we like to feature in our menu.

It is also nice to be able to welcome walking parties who are here to enjoy the landscape around us. They can reserve a table when planning their walks.

What are you looking forward to in 2023?

Despite the challenges of the past few years, we are so pleased to be still here — and that is thanks to the amazing support we have locally.

We are looking forward to more of the special steam trains coming to Appleby, as these bring in lots of new visitors to the town, looking for a place to have lunch or a coffee. The trains really do make a difference to our business.

Each year is another opportunity to be part of local people’s celebrations with private parties in the evenings. We have a licensed bar and the whole bistro can be hired to celebrate everything from christenings and birthdays to wedding anniversaries.

Currently we are open 9am-3pm. However, with the new season coming we will be open longer hours, seven days a week.