An unassuming café on the corner of Whitechapel and Stanley Street occupied an extraordinary position at the centre of Liverpool's musical world. Kardomah Café was just around the corner from the Cavern Club, where The Beatles and countless other young Liverpool groups played.
The café, known affectionately as the "KD", became a meeting place for the city's musicians during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Born out of Pudsey Street in Liverpool in 1844, the popular brand initially started as the Vey Brothers tea dealers and grocers. The first café was opened in the city in the early 1900s, with the business already having been sold on by the Veys to a bigger company.
A Hub of the Merseybeat Scene
Over the years there were a number of Kardomah cafés opened across the city centre with locations on Basnett Street, Bold Street, Castle Street, Chapel Street, Dale Street, Redcross Street, and Rumford Place. By 1960, there were also Kardomah coffee houses on Church Street, North John Street, and Whitechapel.
The Whitechapel branch opened around 1950 and became a busy spot on the Merseybeat scene due to NEMS (North End Music Stores) record store, run by Brian Epstein, across the road, and Hessy's Music Store next door.
Connection to NEMS and The Beatles
The ECHO reported how the purpose-built four-storey NEMS flagship store opened in 1960 and became the epicentre of Liverpool's music scene. Just steps away from the Cavern Club, the shop was developed by Brian from what originally began as a family furniture business, establishing it as one of the North of England's premier music retailers.
After listening to his customers, Brian visited The Cavern Club to listen to The Beatles firsthand. He went on to sign the group to a management contract at his office at NEMS on October 1, 1962, and secured their landmark recording deal with EMI's Parlophone label. Although NEMS finished trading in the 1990s and the original building was demolished in 2012, its legacy remains a significant part of Liverpool's history.
Freda Kelly, former secretary of The Beatles' official fan club, which operated from the NEMS offices, told the ECHO: "I loved NEMS, and I used to go in there before I started working for Brian Epstein. I started in 1962, and my father said that it would only last a year."
Fond Memories of the Kardomah
Freda stayed at NEMS for 10 years, and in that time, she had plenty of interactions with The Beatles. She said: "NEMS was the centre of everything, and if you were in the Kardomah Café on Stanley Street, you could look up to NEMS and see if The Beatles were in. There were no seats in Epstein's office, so they used to all lean against a shelf, and you'd be able to instantly tell if they were in there."
Within just a few yards, young musicians could buy instruments, listen to the latest records, grab a coffee, and head off to play at the Cavern. And among those passing through the doors of the Kardomah were The Beatles. Rising stars became some of the café's most high-profile guests. As well as the Fab Four, Cilla Black was also known to frequent the café.
At one point, there were also branches elsewhere in the region, such as in Southport. For decades, many have continued to share their fond memories of when the Kardomah Café called Merseyside home.
Kevin Wilson said: "I spent a great deal of time and pocket money in that shop. Then nipped over the road for a 'frothy coffee' at the Kardoma Cafe. Happy days." AL Peters said: "Eppy used to put Blues and Rhythm and Blues records aside for me to listen to in the end booths in Great Charlotte St and NEM's in Whitechapel. I spent many good times in the Kardomah Cafe opposite NEM's in Whitechapel. Sporting our latest LP purchases and meeting various band members."
