A Consett based business is building, after opening the doors to its new purpose-built Coffee Bar & Kitchen at Regents Park in the town in March this year.
Sweet Things Coffee, Bar and Kitchen were one of four business to move into Amethyst Homes retail units at its established Regents Park housing development.
Since opening its doors, Sweet Things has gone from strength to strength, extending its offering to customers and local residents. This includes themed evenings, live music, corporate events, and family celebrations. Food and alcoholic beverages are also now served until 9pm.
Katie, 31, said: “Moving premises has been a game changer for us. We had a loyal customer base at our previous café in the centre of town, but our location now has opened the door to more passing trade, and we have lots of customers visiting from the housing estate and the local Derwent Walk.
“It has been really exciting for us to extend our menu and events offering, which in turn has created more opportunities for our team and the local residents.”
The business growth has been such a success, that Katie’s fiancée, James, has left his full-time job as assistant manager at a well-known supermarket, to continue to build their business together. James is responsible for ensuring everything behind the scenes runs smoothly whilst Katie works closely with the team day to day to maintain exceptional customer service and satisfaction.
Katie added: “There is something for everyone at Sweet Things, Coffee, Bar and Kitchen, from sweet treats and excellent local coffee from Fika – another local business that we work closely with – to a variety of breakfast and lunch options and a Friday early evening menu with live entertainment from local North East based musicians.
“We are also a dog friendly venue and have ample parking and an outdoor seating area – with a view – for those warmer days or winter sunsets!
This is Katie’s fourth year in business having previously worked as an area manager for a global coffee brand. Sweet Things Coffee, Bar and Kitchen are staffed by Katie, James and 14 employees, all from the local area.
Richard Bass, Managing Director at Amethyst Homes, added: “This is the first time we have built retail units as part of a housing development, so it is incredibly rewarding to see Katie’s business and the other three retail units enjoying success.
“The area has benefited from significant investment over the years, which has not only delivered much needed housing to the area but also created training and employment opportunities as well as supporting local organisations, charities and the community.”
Established in 2013, Amethyst Homes has built its business around its customers – with a strong emphasis on providing quality, sustainable homes in the communities in which people choose to live and work. To date it has built over 590 properties in the Northeast.
Currently delivering projects in Consett, southeast Northumberland, Guide Post and in Newcastle, Amethyst specialises in a wide range of housing from homes well suited to first time buyers, for those looking for a larger, family property, right through to affordable bungalows.
The company recently maintained its 5-star customer satisfaction rating from the Home Builders Federation (awarded in 2024 and 2025) and was awarded Gold for the last three consecutive years by independent research company, In-House Research, with over 90% of customers surveyed stating that they would recommend Amethyst Homes to friends and family.
For more information and the range of properties available, please visit: www.amethysthomes.co.uk
For more information, please email: Emily.Cutler@persuasion-pr.com
