Hairdresser swaps salon for coffee shop in a horse box
SHE TURNED BACK ON 20-YEAR CAREER FOR NEW VENTURE WITH PARTNER FABRIZIO
It’s a fantastic spot and it’s nice to all stick together. We want to bring more to this area Tracey Turner
FOR more than 20 years Tracey Turner ran a hair salon called Turning Heads... now it’s her vintage mobile coffee shop that’s doing that.
After two decades of cutting, colouring and styling hair she’s opted for a complete career change – serving coffee from a converted horse box on a Nottingham city centre street.
It’s not just a job swap, it’s a whole new life for Tracey, who has moved from Birmingham to Nottingham to be with her partner Fabrizio Secchi, owner of an Italian bakery in Gedling.
The two converted a trailer into a Bruno’s Coffee Garden, where speciality coffee, tea, and hot chocolate are served to passers-by on the corner of Clinton Street West and Lincoln Street.
Cakes, pastries and mince pies are also on sale.
Bruno’s Coffee Garden – named after Tracey’s dachshund – started trading last week after a lengthy wait for a coffee machine imported from Italy.
She said: “I love it. I don’t actually like coffee. I’m more of a tea drinker so I have sorted out some award-winning tea.”
Even though it’s a major change in her working life, she’s loving every minute – despite the cold weather.
“It’s actually lovely and warm in there. Where I am it’s so nice, people coming to speak to you so you don’t think about things like that. I am busy-ish – the same people are coming back which is lovely.”
She said that people are even coming up to her take pictures of the horse box conversion.
“We’ve only been here for a week and we’ve had so many followers it’s lovely. We have regulars coming every morning and every afternoon.”
Tracey, who used to be coowner of the salon just outside Birmingham, quit when the lease expired last August.
“My business partner didn’t want to carry it on and I couldn’t run it on my own as the rent was far too high and there was a knockon effect from Covid.
“We decided to go our separate ways so I decided to come to live in Nottingham and I didn’t want to do hairdressing – I don’t want to build up my clientele again as it takes up a long time.”
After a whirlwind romance she upped sticks from the West Midlands to move in with Fabrizio at his home in Sandiacre.
After buying the horse box from Loughborough, they kitted it out into an inviting takeaway.
“It was an empty shell. Everything you see is what me and Fab have done. It’s been absolutely wonderful – we’ve loved doing it but it’s a lot of hard work and it’s still hard work every day taking the trailer back and forth,” said Tracey.
The couple originally considered a coffee shop but were put off by the high rents so they decided on a mobile trailer that could have a static pitch but also go to events. One of the first will be the Christmas market at Jambons’ wholesalers in New Basford on December 19.
Bruno’s Coffee Shop is trading Monday to Friday from 9am to 4.30pm and Tracey has settled in well at her new site where neighbours include vans selling jacket spuds, Thai, Caribbean and pizza.
The location is close to busy streets – including Upper Parliament Street and Clumber Street – and the traders urged shoppers and passers-by to divert off the beaten track to see what they have to offer.
Fabrizio said: “These guys here are fabulous. I think sometimes they get left behind because it’s a trailer on a little side street.
“I know we’re in town off one of the busiest streets but from speaking to them they get ignored a little bit.
“It’s competitive prices – his jacket potatoes are just £3.50. They’re massive, they’re lovely and the pizzas down there are too.
“We just want to let people know we’re all here.
“Come and try us. It’s not just about us. They do brilliant food – if people try it they will see what quality you get for the money.” Tracey added: “It’s a fantastic spot and it’s nice to all stick together. We want to bring more to this area.
“Fingers crossed when the Christmas market has gone it will pick up a little bit more.
“People are asking if I’m just here for Christmas but no, I’m staying, and in the spring I’m changing the menu to do iced drinks and paninis and to put some tables out.”