A new Lego-inspired café, Bricks&Brews, has opened its doors in Whitley Bay this week, offering a space for both adults and children to eat, drink, and enjoy the love of Lego.
Opened by Andy and Johanna Maddison, the family is launching head first into the hospitality sector, fuelled by their passion for Lego, which they hope to share with families across the North East. Andy said: “Bricks&Brews is a place where you can eat, drink and enjoy the love of Lego.”
A Family Venture Rooted in Passion
The idea came to Andy and Johanna a few years ago when, after many years of working in IT, James wanted to try something he was passionate about. He said: “I wanted to build something of my own - something creative, hands-on and rooted in the local community and that’s where our idea for our Lego café began.”
The project has been two years in the making and opened its doors for a soft launch on Saturday 22nd August before opening officially to the public on Tuesday 25th. Johanna said: “It felt like it was coming for quite a long time.”
Activities and Community Support
Visitors have plenty to do, as Andy explained: “We’ve got hundreds or Lego sets, we’ve got a giant brick pit for kids to play in, we’ve got car building and car racing and car smashing and soon we’ll have competitions as well.”
Location was as important as passion for Andy and Johanna, with Whitley Bay always the destined area. Andy said: “From the start, we knew we wanted it to be in Whitley Bay. This is home for us and it felt important to create something local, independent and welcoming, right here in the community we’re part of.”
The local hospitality community has also rallied round to help ensure the café’s success, with local bakeries providing sweet treats and Tynemouth Coffee providing coffee and training to the family. Johanna said: “We knew how the Lego would work but we knew we’d have to learn on the day in the café. The bakeries saw our posts and got in touch. They were really excited and already had some Lego based ideas.”
Opening Days and Future Plans
The family-run business has already seen its opening days full, so visitors are advised to prebook to avoid disappointment. James said: “We’re really proud to have opened a small family-run business here in Whitley Bay, built around something we genuinely love. We hope it’s a place where families, Lego fans and curious first-timers can come in, have a drink, get stuck into a build and enjoy spending time together.”
