Brian and Lisa hoping to bring some cafe culture into Halifax town centre

Lisa Tetlaw and Brian Clark, who live in Pye Nest, run Disco Kitchen on George Street which opened in November.

Brian spent more than 10 years working for a corporate hospitality company as chef director before being furloughed.

“I couldn’t sit around, it’s not in my nature, so I looked around at what Calderdale doesn’t have in terms of food and created an online company, set up in my garage, and if we got orders before 2pm, I guaranteed we would deliver it before 5pm as an ambient product, chilled, and it could be heated up when they wanted at their leisure,” he said.

“Within a month we were doing more than 600 units a week, and it identified to me there was an opportunity in this lovely, amazing town we all live in for an independent movement.

“There’s a massive independent movement going on, craft bars opening up, microbreweries, but nothing is really happening around the town that is outside of the norm, in my opinion.

“We have five separate food identities under Disco Kitchen, including hot dogs, sourdough pizzas, artisan salads and sandwiches.

“But they’re interchangeable, so we’ll drop in a noodle concept later in the year, and steaks done with sauces and chips.

“We’re a cafe at heart. I’m not trying to re-write the rule book, there’s a lot of cafe culture in Halifax, and I’m not disrespecting anyone else’s business, they do what they do, they’ve been here for a long time and they’re doing something right.

“But I want cafe culture like you’re in the Northern Quarter in Manchester where you can sit next to a table of two retired ladies enjoying a shawarma over a glass of wine, next to them there might be a guy who has a really important meeting at Lloyds Banking Group this afternoon and he’s just popped in for a Tandoori wedge sandwich and a can of pop.

“We don’t take reservations, you can come in if you’ve got a million pounds in your pocket, or nothing.”

Brian says the business, which employs 11 staff, has continued trading since it opened, and has been especially busy during evenings with takeaway orders.

“Speaking to people every day, there is confidence coming back in, although people are still vigilant of course.

“I’ve opened this in the pandemic by design, I’m not coming into this with eyes wide shut.

“This has been the perfect opportunity to get all the cogs in motion, get the team trained up so when people do come back, we’re the best we can be that day.”