Kane Pulford-Roberts, The Clubhouse Coffee & Cycling

Work brought Kane Pulford-Roberts to Leeds, but the pull of a growing indy coffee scene and fantastic cycling was behind his decision to move to Skipton.

Kane fulfilled a long-held dream to work for himself when he opened a specialist café in the town in July 2018. The Clubhouse Coffee & Cycling does exactly what it says on the tin – it’s a haven for the lovers of bike culture.

Said Kane, who is originally from Wrexham, in North Wales: “Skipton is a great base for anybody. We moved out of Leeds city centre because we wanted to bring something different to the rural life. The fact that it’s cycling mad round here was also a big draw!”

Kane and his wife, Nicole, had both been working at Asda in Leeds and it was while travelling last year that he decided to hand in his notice and look for a way of going it alone. Soon after they stumbled upon the opportunity to take on the Newmarket Street premises.

The café, which uses locally roasted coffees and is developing a specialism in home made brownies, again sourced in the area, has already been visited by a number of professional and well-known sportsmen including cyclists Scott Thwaites and Tom Moses as well as Olympic triathletes the Brownlee brothers.

Bikes and cycling clothing are also for sale in the café and there is a private room which is available for use, which Kane hopes will be popular with community groups and initiatives.

He said: “Great Place: Lakes and Dales is a massive draw for people like me because it highlights a genuine sense of community and is a forum for new ideas. It offers a positive, new perspective for those who wish to escape the rat race and are thinking about how to make that happen.

“Thinking locally is much higher on the agenda than it was 10 years ago and it is a big part of my business and lifestyle.”

Clubhouse Coffee-GPLD-S Garnett