Independent coffee shop opens opposite Blackburn railway station

The Winter Lotus Brew House is located at the former Starbucks coffee shop in Cathedral Square, opposite the train station.

Luke Winter, 31, said he had wanted a change in career and decided to launch his own coffee shop in one of the most sought-after locations in the town.

He said: “It has been a learning curve so far.

“It is a good location outside the railway station and near to the cathedral.

“I always wanted to run a coffee shop like this and wanted a change in career. The past two years have been extremely stressful and I decided to do something different.

“The interior has got a fresh new look to it and gives it more of a traditional but modern look.

“People might walk past and not notice us but we have signage in the windows.”

The coffee shop which Luke runs by himself offers 50 types of coffees, 30 types of teas and a range of sandwiches with both vegan and halal options.

Luke said: “I start preparing the sandwiches at 6am each morning and they are all fresh.

“Cooking was always a passion of mine growing up so I wanted to share some of my creations with customers. So far the response has been really good.

“Although it is primarily a coffee shop I am looking at offering pizzas, paninis, oriental food and Moroccan tagines in the future.”

Luke is originally from Manchester and says he has been keen to support good causes in the short time he has been opened by offering discounts for the emergency services workers and donations to local homeless shelters.

Luke said: “I love making people happy.

"I want to try to reach out to as many local organisations as possible and support them as much as I can.”

Councillor Phil Riley, Executive Member for Regeneration said: “It is good to see the town centre starting to recover after the impact of the pandemic and great to welcome a new independent shop. Let's hope they do well.”

The Winter Lotus Brew House is open from 7.30am weekdays and from 9am on Saturday.