30/06/2026
We sometimes get asked why we aren't open more through the week. Usually, it's followed by a look that says, "Must be nice to only work three days a week!"
Well, grab a cuppa, because we think it’s time for a proper chat about what actually goes on when the shutters go down.
🏡 How We Got Dragged Into This (In a Good Way!)
While we aren’t born and bred in Staithes, our hearts have been stuck here for over 20 years. We are a Bradford family (still proper Yorkshire, don't panic!) who fell head-over-heels for the village when Wayne’s late Uncle Maurice (RIP) and Auntie Mo brought us to stay at Toffee Crackle House.
We bought a holiday home here two decades ago, spending 20 years speeding up the motorway between running our retail stores in Bradford and escaping to the coast. Now, we have The Kessen Bowl, living like locals in the apartment above the shop whenever we’re open.
👨👩👧👦 Meet the Circus (And the Ringmasters)
We are a family of 5, but we’re currently expanding at an alarming rate.
Me: The face of the shop. I’m the one doing the actual work on the floor while trying to look respectable.
Wayne: The behind-the-scenes "expert." When he isn’t working a full-time job in the Electricity Industry, he is stressing over the crab buckets. According to Wayne, if they aren't positioned at a precise 45-degree angle, nobody will buy one. He also places endless stock orders for things I’m convinced he’s just making up.
Caitlin (25): Our eldest, who is currently about to drop twin grandsons on us any second. Send help. 👶👶
Blake (22): Who also works in the Electricity Industry. If your lights are on in Yorkshire, you can thank him and his dad. ⚡
Lola (15): Our youngest. If you’ve seen a teenager walking around the village looking like she’d rather be literally anywhere else on Earth, wearing the classic "look at me and perish" teenage glare... that’s our Lola.
🚚 The Myth of the "Day Off"
When we pack up and drive back to Bradford, the real chaos begins. My "days off" consist of:
Playing Delivery Driver: Driving around visiting wholesalers to pack the car full of stock for the next weekend.
Crime Scene Investigation: Cleaning a house that has been left entirely "mum-unattended" for three days. (It’s a miracle it’s still standing).
The Laundry Everest: Tackling a mountain of washing so massive I genuinely believe my children are changing outfits every 20 minutes just to spite me.
🕒 The Opening Hours (And the Grand Plan)
As you know, out of season the village can be ghost-town quiet. To balance the peace and quiet with the boys' jobs, the laundry crisis, and Lola’s school dates, we are currently open:
95% of weekends (Thursday/Friday til Sunday)
The whole of the school holidays
...and we might even throw in a Wednesday if the British weather stops crying and the sun actually shines! ☀️
The Master Plan: This isn't permanent! Once Lola reaches an age where she doesn't need parental supervision overnight without burning the house down, the plan is to open up more days through the week.
Until then, we’re just a busy family trying to keep all the plates spinning without breaking any. We love Staithes, we love our customers, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting our independent, slightly chaotic, family-run business! 🦀🪣✨
