A long-time cafe owner has put her much-loved seafront business on the market after almost two decades at the helm.
Debbie Clarke has run Seaview Cafe on Tankerton Slopes since 2007, serving hundreds of thousands of breakfasts.
Seaview Cafe owner Debbie Clarke has put her business on the market after almost 20 years
However, the 65-year-old has decided it is time to sell up, having committed years of her life to 70-hour weeks year-round.
“It does get hard, it’s very hard, but I know I’m going to miss it,” Ms Clarke said.
“I’m so undecided about going; it is my life up there.
“But at the same time, I’ve missed a lot – my daughter lives in Spain now, and I can’t get out to see her much.
“Very rarely am I able to get over and see her and the grandchildren because there’s always something.
A busy day at the Seaview Cafe in Tankerton. Picture: Azure
“I’ve got to do this or that, or somebody can’t work that week – it’s quite difficult getting away from the place completely.
“And I can’t do six or seven days a week, it’s too much for me and my health isn’t what it used to be.”
In her time, Ms Clarke has served a wide range of customers – including Michael Barrymore, David Essex and former MasterChef host Gregg Wallace.
But she says it is the locals that form the “beating heart” of the cafe.
“We’re a community and it goes a long way,” said Ms Clarke.
The Seaview Cafe in Tankerton has been run by Ms Clarke since 2007
“Especially for the older people in the area, we’ve got a lot who just come in just for a cup of tea and a slice of toast and they’ll sit there talking to the people next to them.
“I just keep everything consistent. If somebody comes in for breakfast on a Monday, they can come in the next Wednesday, and it will taste and look exactly the same.
“The girls all cook how I want them to cook. If I wouldn’t eat it, I wouldn’t serve it.
“It’s as simple as that.”
The business has now gone up for sale for £200,000 – but Ms Clarke admits she had rejected offers in the past and will be “quite fussy about who I’m going to sell to”.
“I’ve put it off for three years, but now is the right time to do it,” she added.
“I think they’d be silly to change it, it’s been here almost 100 years.”