A BUSINESSWOMAN used lockdown to give her shop and café an new offshoot... by setting up a vintage-themed backroom bar.

Francis Sheridan King opened Made and Found Colchester, in Scheregate Steps, last April.

Her business aims to encompass her love of all things local, handmade and vintage.

Francis’ café sells coffee from Harwich and fresh cakes from bakeries across the county alongside homemade snacks. The shop also sells scarves, resin chopping boards, scented candles and jewellery.

Francis, who left her career as a property law academic to realise her dream of running her own business, used the lockdown to give her shop a spruce up.

Francis has also created some Colchester-themed cocktails for her guests to raise a glass to.

She said: “As per the Made & Found ethos, I used the time during lockdown to refurbish the shop, re-painting chairs, re-covering tables and installing a vintage bar in the backroom.

“This is now stocked with a range of locally sourced craft beers, Adnam’s wines and English spirits including gins from Colchester and Mersea.

Gazette:

“We serve a range of Colchester-themed cocktails, such as The Scheregate Schnappster, The COOLchester and The Balkerne Bramble.

“We also serve Hard Shakes -thick American shakes with alcohol blends.

“We look forward to welcoming new and old customers to our quirky little corner of heaven.”

The bar will be open from Friday.

Opening hours are until 9pm Thursday to Saturday and until 6.30pm Sunday to Wednesday.

  • The Gazette launched its Backing Essex Business campaign in April.

We pledged to back our local, independent and family-run businesses, doing what we can to help them through this difficult time.

Readers can support the campaign by using the hashtag #BackingEssexbusiness.