The Treehouse (‘Children and well-behaved adults welcome’) opened its doors in September with a mixture of own-blend coffee and show-stopping home-made cakes, all packed up in a friendly, family-run atmosphere.
The striking duck-egg blue and copper coloured café on Lower Broughton Road is a hive of creativity. Tables are made from upcycled antique doors, the chairs are old chapel chairs and the wall cupboards are made from apple crates from a local farm – all lovingly restored by hand.
The tree and mandala artwork on the walls was drawn by local artist Myro Doodle Girl and incorporates the traditional Chinese calligraphy characters for good luck and good fortune under the supervision of Amelia’s Singaporean grandfather Tony Yeo.
Food in the café is also creative – there is no set menu in The Treehouse. All the bakes are created from fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced locally.
The Treehouse serves hot breakfast sandwiches and lunch options including salads and hot and cold sandwiches, all made with artisan bread from a local bakery, and there is always a vegetarian or vegan option.
The coffee is a special house blend made up of beans from Brazil, El Salvador and Indonesia, and drinks can be made with oat milk for vegans. And of course, there are the bakes – traybakes, pastries, tarts, cookies, as well as huge counter cakes.
Catering to all customers – residents end up mixing with students and people working in local businesses, and there is a family-friendly area for children with a play kitchen, books and crayons and comfy chairs for breastfeeding mums. Even dogs are welcome and will be provided with drinks free of charge!
Owner Amelia Hamilton, 24, is a Cordon Bleu chef, who trained at Tante Marie – one of only two schools in the UK that offer the prestigious diploma – but her real love is baking and patisserie.
Amelia is very keen that the café becomes a hub for the local community and is planning a range of activities including setting up a book exchange and hosting play sessions, classes, workshops, community groups and business meetings, which can be catered.
She has set up a community noticeboard in the shop which is free to use and hopes that people will get in touch with ideas for clubs and activities which she can host in the café.
She says, “We have put a lot of hard work into setting up the Treehouse and we really want it to work and become a space for the community to come and enjoy. We would love to hear from people, so please get in touch and share your ideas.”
The Treehouse Cafe, 304 Lower Broughton Rd, Salford M7 2HQ
0161 792 4910
https://www.facebook.com/thetreehousecafe17/
