In the picture postcard resort of St Annes in Lancashire, Linda Bloor has her hands full with two bustling cafés. Having previously run the Hungry Duck food truck with her sister, Joanne, Linda left catering when she had kids. But in 2018, she took on a role as chef at The Pavilion café, in St Annes, before buying the business two years later. But things didn’t go to plan. “I bought The Pavilion in February 2020 and closed it in March because of Covid!” she says. Ever the optimist, Linda claims that being closed for six months wasn’t all bad. “There were positives; it was good to have a break between previous owners and me. I was able to strip it back and change the kitchen.” She also organised weekend entertainment. “We put up live music outside every Sunday, which was socially distanced, and we had a good summer.” Based in a 10-acre park called Ashton Gardens, The Pavilion is a serene spot to sit and watch the world go by. “The park was full of snowdrops last month and we have a female kestrel in the area,” says nature-loving Linda. She has a good relationship with the park gardeners. “We make our own tartare sauce and the gardeners grow me parsley,” she says. “Also, I wanted it to smell nice, so they grew me lavender at the entrance.” Like bees to nectar, the business is permanently buzzing with locals, and keeping everyone fed and watered is a big ask. “It can be a tough kitchen, it’s busy,” says Linda. “We have some really tough days here, but as my staff say – it ends at 4pm, the kids are playing, the birds are singing – there are worse places to be. It’s a privilege to have it.” While The Pavilion is hugely demanding, Linda couldn’t resist the allure of The Beachcomber café when it was put out to tender by the council, and she took on her second café in 2022.

“We should have opened in Easter, but everything got put back,” sighs Linda. “It was the hangover from Covid, supply was a massive issue, and we couldn’t get deep fat fryers or griddles.” Still, she persevered, and The Beachcomber opened its doors in October of the same year. Situated just a mile apart from each other, it is important to Linda that each café has its own personality. “I don’t want them to be like a chain. You wouldn’t know they were owned by the same person,” she explains. The Pavilion is a striking, colonial-style building, set amongst well-kempt greenery. In contrast, The Beachcomber has adopted more of a bohemian vibe and is tucked away in the sand dunes. Overlooking the picturesque North Beach, the café adjoins the local Wind Sports Centre, acting as headquarters for kite surfing and land yacht clubs. Linda’s love of music sees The Pavilion host regular open mike nights and the café’s forecourt becomes The Introducing Stage at the annual St Anne’s on the Sea Music Festival, while The Beachcomber has hosted the land yacht club’s regatta. Both outlets are available to hire for birthdays, weddings and wakes. “I always offer the beach first for wakes,” says Linda. “There’s something really lovely about it when you’re out there. It changes outside every hour of the day. The sky changes, which changes the colour of the grasses, the dunes, the sea and the sand.” The rustic charm of The Beachcomber also makes it a mecca for dogwalkers. “Sometimes it’s like Crufts – there are so many dogs!” she laughs. “But we keep half dog-free because I know not everybody's keen.”

The building’s interior pays homage to the natural beauty of its surroundings. “We had the side of an elm tree made into islands. I thought they’d be the wow feature when you come in, but they’ve become cake stands!” Sustainability is a top priority. “I’m very big on recycling. All the artwork has to be beach-themed or recycled. The beach is all about reusing what we’ve got around us. I stay away from single-use plastics, and everything is compostable or biodegradable.” A local litter picker loves to beachcomb and bring Linda trinkets, which she displays on the bar. “I’ve got a pelican foot shell, and glass bottles that date back to a company in Blackpool in 1902, it’s just amazing how the sea has tossed them about and welded them … it’s the history of what’s around us.” Its stunning seaside location might sound idyllic, but the cooling sea breeze and the glorious golden grains that draw so many locals, holidaymakers and sports enthusiasts are a major bugbear for Linda. “The sand gets on my nerves! The café is just full of sand no matter what we do.” The wind was equally unforgiving when she attempted to put up a marquee. “A storm blew it off and ripped it, so we’ve learnt we can’t do that.” Chairs and tables also fall victim to the weather. “Being exposed in sand dunes is like nothing else!” she says. “We can have furniture for years at the Pavilion, but everything gets rusty really quickly at the Beachcomber – it only lasts six months!” Nevertheless, she adores her scenic spot. “The beach is a beautiful place to work. I don’t want to be on a high street – the location is fabulous for me.”

Unsurprisingly, Fish and Chips is a favourite dish for beachgoers and Full English Breakfasts are in high demand too. Salmon with Scrambled Eggs, and Smashed Avocado with Poached Eggs are also popular. Meanwhile, The Pavilion attracts an older clientele where Bacon and Brie, BBQ Chicken and Tuna and Cheddar Melt Paninis are popular, as are Open Prawn Sandwiches. Every dish is cooked to order. “I have high standards, every sauce, every marinade is made on site (apart from Hollandaise, which is sourced from Booker). We make citrus mayo to go on the fish salads and Cajun mayo for our Cajun chicken burgers, wraps and sourdough. Booker’s Chef’s Larder Blackened Cajun spice mix is amazing.” Booker delivers to both cafés daily.

“Rob [Street] and Reece [Bywater] are my contacts at Booker, I have them down as ‘Booker Boys’ on Whatsapp. If anything is short dated or damaged, they sort me a replacement. Paul [Rayner, Store Manager at Booker Blackpool], is fantastic too. I’d like to go in more, it’s nice to see what’s new, but I just don’t get the chance.” Her close relationship with Booker is especially appreciated when the pressure is on. “We’re short order cookery; it’s one of the hardest to manage from a delivery point of view. It’s not like a restaurant where you have bookings – the doors open at 9.00 and you can be full at 9.30 and you’ve got to get it out the door. One hundred and twenty sausages could go in half an hour!” So it’s the Booker Boys to the rescue when the chips are down. “You never know what you’re going to get on any given day in this café business and sometimes you’re not always best prepared and it’s good to have suppliers where you can say, ‘Help, we need a bag of this or a box of that.’ My guys are spectacular!” The other people Linda knows she can rely on are her team. “I wouldn’t be anything without my staff, we are like a big family,” she says. In fact, some members of the team are literally family. Her son Liam manages the Beachcomber, while daughter Caitlin is her “right hand woman” for back office and also works front of house when the need arises.