The Craftbox Cafe, with branches in helston and Penzance in Cornwall, was launched by April Claire, is a military spouse; her husband serves as an Aircraft Engineer at Royal navy Air Station Culdrose.
The Craftbox concept is a blend of art studio and coffee shop; April offers a range of crafts designed for both children and adults within a modern cafe serving Barista coffee and homemade cakes. The cafes host walk-in customers, who can take their time to carefully paint their own ceramicware, as well as parties or groups; the activities are as popular with adults as children.
These cafes are the first of their kind to be seen in West Cornwall, and entrepreneur April hopes to extend the business’s branches far and wide in the UK.
After studying Illustration at Falmouth University, April worked in retail and customer service, before she had the idea to combine her creative and business skills.
April said “I make crafts for the pure pleasure of it and, aside from the therapeutic benefits, I truly believe crafts can build communities; we’re making something to give to other people, we’re socialising and therefore building friendships and networks. Helston is a small naval town, with many separated families, so I love to open my doors to welcome local people to enjoy the Craftbox’s calm, creative space and spend time together.”
After launching in Helston in summer 2015, April opened her second Craftbox cafe in Penzance in late 2015. She said “My staff have been fundamental in making both stores a success; I couldn’t have wished for a better mix of intelligent and creative co-workers.”
More information about Craftbox can be found on their Website, Twitter and Facebook pages.
(Photos Courtesy of RNAS Culdrose Photographic Department.)
