A Slice Of Serenity: Durham’s New Cafe Offers Calm And Spiritual Connection To The City Centre

Durham City is well known for its gothic cobblestone streets, grand cathedral and its beautiful babbling river. But in this post-lockdown world, local businesses have suffered and Durham’s streets have somewhat lost their sparkle. Sisters and Durham natives; Lindsey and Bernadette, aim to change that.

Where once stood a William Hill betting shop, lay a quiet testament of neglect outside Durham bus station, and it remained there for quite some time. Its ‘for sale’ notice sat sorrowfully like a rescue dog watching false hope pass it by. Every day thinking ‘this is the day someone chooses me’.

Until one day, someone did!

I met Bernadette one gloomy February morning on my Monday commute. I hadn’t travelled through Durham in a week, so I was quite stunned when I left the train station and was greeted with a brand new cafe. Unsure if they were open, I hesitantly opened and walked through the glass door.

I was immediately taken aback by the whimsical atmosphere, it almost felt like that door was a portal to a witchy tavern and I was not, in fact, on North Road. I was enthusiastically welcomed in by Bernadette, who quickly fluttered over to the till point. I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of unique home bakes to my left. Behind her, was their in-house kitchen. Somewhere I later learned they make all their food from scratch.

Photo credit: Kaitlyn Ashby Freshly baked goods.

Bernadette, 44, and Lindsey, 37 both grew up in Durham. From a young age, they shared a mutual dream of one day owning a cafe of their own. Classed as ‘clinically vulnerable’ due to a heart transplant in her youth, the coronavirus pandemic saw Lindsay Roberts restricted to her home. As years passed and the world began to heal from the pandemic, Lindsay found herself at a crossroad in her life: continue her career in digital marketing, or follow her dreams in tarot and spirituality. This came at a time when her sister; Bernadette Wise, in a twist of fate, lost her business in January 2024.

Photo credit: Kaitlyn Ashby. Bernadette:Left Lindsey: Right

Having both battled heavy medical complications in life; Bernadette with cancer, Lindsey, a heart transplant, and previous career conquests that had run their course, the sisters felt adrift in their personal journeys. Lindsey suggested her sister opened a cafe. A cafe she could incorporate her passion for spirituality and tarot into.

And so, in February 2025, the former betting shop was given a new lease of life, and in its place, stands the quaint little cafe 3 Of Cups.

Sat at a round table with wooden chairs, reflecting on their experience, Bernadette told me: “I, always, always wanted to have a cafe of my own. That’s kind of been a lifelong ambition, something I’ve always thought, you know, that’s like the big dream to have” she went on to tell me about the challenges of starting a business from scratch but noted: “that is far outweighed by the fun we’ve had”.

Asking about their aims for their new space, Bernadette goes on to say: “we’ve got a really good mix of people that come in… People that are passing through or going for buses and trains and we only see them once, but we’ve got a really good bunch of regulars that come in almost every day and we’ve got to know them a little bit and it’s just really nice to- you know, to bring all those people together…”

In the background, the sound of whooshing buses and giggling students passed by the window as the evening sun bounced off twinkling hanging trinkets.

“…Being inclusive was really important to us. And, you know; that you come here, you feel safe and you feel comfortable.” Bernadette discussed lockdown, namely the long term implications it has had on people’s minds and feelings of isolation. But particularly, neurodivergent people. She shared with me that both of her children are autistic, and so she sympathises with the difficulties neurodivergent people can face when trying to get involved in the community. In a bid to achieve their community-enhancing goals, 3 Of Cups often extends its opening hours to facilitate social events like chocolate making classes, book clubs and dog socials to which anyone is welcome.

Photo credit: Kaitlyn Ashby. Inside cafe

It was clear the sisters’ dreams for the cafe were to gather a community of like-minded people who felt they had a safe space on North Road to come in, socialise, and have some coffee. Despite North Road being what the women described as ‘lively’, they hoped their presence on the street adds colour:

“we’re both from Durham, and we’re really passionate about the area. If we can make this area slightly more aesthetic than what it was previously, then great. That’s, you know… something that we could be proud of, really.”

The cafe interior was made up of celestial artwork and handmade spiritual equipment. Items like dream and sun catchers, tapestries, and beautiful mosaic lights that hung in a spiral, smaller ones were dotted sporadically throughout the cafe, each one cascading in colour. In a small corner by the baked goods stood a stand filled with items from crystals to incense, hair clips to ‘magic spell’ candles. Beside it was Lindsey’s crystal healing certificate. I received a tarot reading experience of my own by Lindsey, it was mesmerising to experience the energy bubble around us as she dove into my mind.

Lindsey pointed out various parts of the cafe. She sourced the artwork from local artists, the furniture from The British Heart Foundation, mosaic lamps from Durham Markets, and the repurposed wooden slats from the building’s previous state,hand crafted to make their till point and skirt the forest green walls. It was undeniably from their vibrant, animated expressions, that these sisters lived and breathed Durham City.

One customer, Tom, told me “it’s really refreshing seeing a business focus on inclusivity because sometimes you can be a bit unsure on what kind of environment you are going into, but it was really welcoming and friendly”.

Getting ready to leave with my home baked matcha cookie and tea in hand, the sisters unanimously agreed they want to build up not only a team of like-minded people, but a community that feels safe and welcoming for people from all walks of life, on the notoriously chaotic North Road.