Lindsey Duffy pictured with her 'Bad Boy' sausage rolls at Cafe 118 in Carlton(Image: Joseph Raynor/ Reach PLC)

Friends and family club together to make Carlton cafe worker's dream come true

17 May 2026, 12:02 by Lynette Pinchess · NottinghamshireLive

After three different employers, she's now the proud owner

Lindsey Duffy has worked for three different bosses at the cafe she now runs, and she says her new role is a dream come true.

The mum-of-two is now the proud owner of 118 Cafe in Carlton after her family and friends clubbed together to help her buy the business.

She has come full circle after starting there as an assistant when the cafe first opened in 2008. The business was started by Wendy McBain, who put it up for sale a few years later.

Lindsey wanted to buy it then, but she couldn't afford it. Claire Bower became the next owner, but tragedy lay ahead when the young mum passed away in 2020 from cancer.

John was the next owner, but after a year, Lindsey fancied a change of scenery and went to work at Jo-hanna's Cafe in Lowdham.

She said: "I was there for about nine years and then I saw John in the pub and he said he wanted to sell and he'd love to sell it to me.

"I didn't have the money to buy it, but friends and family said they'd club together and lend me the money to get this place because I've always wanted it and love it so much.

"After working under three different owners over the years, it's my dream come true. It's been such a big part of my life."

Now she's in charge, Lindsey has made a few changes at the 20-seater neighbourhood cafe in Burton Road, starting with redecorating inside and adding touches, such as fresh flowers on the tables.

Another improvement is transforming the backyard into a hidden garden with seating for another 20 customers. Lindsey's partner, John Blount, a landscape gardener, has paved it, and she plans to open it in the next couple of weeks.

He's just one of the many who have rallied round to support her. "My mum, Susan, has gone above and beyond for me. She's been absolutely brilliant, pot washing, clearing the tables, and she won't take any money off me. She says, 'I want to see you succeed'.

"She really has come through, the whole family has, my aunties, the whole lot have just come together and really helped me."

Daughters Olivia, 18, and Louise, 18, helped to serve, and on the day the Nottingham Post visited, Lindsey's best friend Caroline was giving her a hand in the kitchen since she had a couple of hours spare after dropping her little one off at nursery.

James, who previously worked alongside her at the bar at the Goose on the Square (now O'Neills) in Nottingham city centre, came to help out one weekend and is now a full-time employee.

At 118 Cafe, breakfast is one of the best sellers, with everything from the Full Monty to bacon and sausage cobs, Eggs Benedict, and omelettes.

Lindsey, who started her cooking career as a chef at Tom Browns in Gunthorpe in her early 20s, serves up homely comfort food, all made from scratch, including lasagne and 'Bad Boy' sausage rolls, plus burgers, sandwiches, cobs, toasties, and salads.

She also bakes the impressive-looking cakes. Big sponges — lemon and raspberry, Victoria sponge and chocolate orange — sit under domes. Scones and traybakes, such as brownies and rocky road, are other sweet treats.

Now she's the boss, Lindsey has been putting her all into the business, trading seven days a week, and only taking Easter Sunday off, since she took over in February.

As if doing a full day's work isn't enough, she's also putting on two sell-out Greek evenings with a three-course menu this month.

"I don't know how I'm doing it at the minute. It's a different kind of vibe when it's for yourself. I still can't quite believe it. I have to pinch myself.

"I love this place. It's meant to be. I couldn't wish for it to go any better at the minute. All the people who used to come here years ago have all come back, saying it's brilliant you're back, and people from Lowdham are now coming here.

"Business is very good. I thought it would take a couple of months to build up, but I can't believe it's just taken off, and we had the best week we'd ever had last week."