Bakewell, Derbyshire

Overview

The Lambton Larder presents an excellent opportunity to acquire a well-established and highly regarded independent café located in the heart of Bakewell, one of the most desirable and heavily visited market towns within the Peak District.

The business has traded as a café for approximately six years and has been under current ownership for the past two years. During this time it has built a strong reputation for quality coffee, fresh food and friendly service, supported by a loyal local customer base and consistent tourist trade throughout the year.

Benefiting from a compact and efficient layout, the café allows straightforward day-to-day operation while maintaining solid turnover levels. Importantly, it holds an alcohol licence which is currently underutilised, presenting a significant opportunity to expand into evening trade and increase revenue through higher-margin offerings. This is a genuine turnkey opportunity, ideally suited to an owner-operator seeking a lifestyle business in a prime trading location with clear scope for growth.

Business Highlights

- Turnover of approximately £105,000 per annum
- Well-established independent café trading for around six years
- Prime, high-footfall central position in a renowned Peak District market town
- Underutilised alcohol licence offering clear scope to expand into evening trade
- Strong reputation supported by positive online reviews and consistent repeat custom
- Fully fitted premises requiring no immediate capital expenditure
- Simple, manageable operating model ideal for an owner-operator or couple
- Loyal local customer base combined with reliable year-round tourist trade

The Business

The Lambton Larder operates as a traditional daytime café, offering freshly prepared food, premium coffee and beverages, and light meals and takeaway options. The business benefits from a simple and proven operating model, with consistent daily trade, strong repeat custom and reliable tourist-driven revenue.

A key feature is its alcohol licence, which provides the ability to expand into evening trading, drinks-led service and café-bar positioning. This creates a clear pathway to increase both turnover and profitability without requiring significant capital investment.

The business has developed a strong reputation within Bakewell and among visitors, supported by positive online reviews and consistent repeat custom. Customers frequently highlight high-quality food and coffee, friendly and welcoming service, consistency of product and experience, and an excellent central location. A loyal core customer base alongside regular passing trade provides a stable and resilient revenue stream.

Location

The business occupies a highly prominent, central position within Bakewell, Derbyshire, one of the most central and high-footfall trading areas in the town.

Bakewell is a thriving Peak District market town renowned for its tourism, independent retail offering and strong hospitality sector, attracting significant visitor numbers year-round with strong seasonal peaks. The location benefits from high levels of passing footfall from tourists and local residents, strong visibility, close proximity to complementary independent businesses, and a well-established reputation as a destination town. This prime location is a key contributor to the business's ongoing performance and provides an excellent platform for future growth.

Premises & Tenure

The business occupies a well-presented ground-floor café unit held on a leasehold basis. The premises require no immediate capital expenditure, allowing a new owner to commence trading immediately. The sale includes a fully fitted café with all fixtures, fittings and equipment, including commercial coffee machines, food preparation equipment, service counters and internal fit-out, and general café infrastructure.

Financial Overview

The business currently generates the following headline figures:

- Turnover: approximately £105,075 per annum
- Gross profit: approximately £45,000 per annum
- Staff costs (including owner): approximately £36,000 per annum

As currently operated, the business supports a wage for the owner alongside part-time staffing. Under a more hands-on owner-operator model, there is clear scope to improve profitability through reduced staffing costs, improved operational efficiencies and increased average transaction value. An owner-operator could reasonably expect adjusted earnings in the region of £15,000 to £25,000 per annum, with further upside available through business expansion. The estimated combined value of the fixtures, fittings and equipment included in the sale is £35,438.

Growth Potential

There are several clear opportunities for a new owner to grow the business:

- Extending opening hours into evenings and fully utilising the alcohol licence
- Introducing a café-bar concept and expanding food and drinks offerings
- Increasing average spend per customer
- Enhancing digital marketing and online presence, including online ordering and delivery platforms
- Developing takeaway and tourist-focused sales

The ability to introduce evening trade represents a particularly strong opportunity to significantly increase revenue and profitability.

Reason for Sale

The business is being offered for sale due to a change in the owners' personal circumstances.

Next Steps

The Lambton Larder represents a rare opportunity to acquire a well-established café in one of the Peak District's most sought-after trading locations, offering both immediate income and significant future potential. To find out more or to arrange a viewing, please contact Goodwins Business Brokers. Full details are available in the Information Memorandum.