THE owner of an Ardoyne café which opened during the Covid-19 pandemic has thanked the local community for their continued support after marking its first year opened.
Aunt Nellie's café in Alliance Avenue was opened by local woman Shauna Travers on January, 24 2022.
The café was named after her great aunt, Ellen Mulholland, who was known as Nellie and was a famous face in Ardoyne, well-known for saying the rosary in Toby’s Hall.
"Aunt Nellie was my my great granny's sister," explained Shauna.
"She helped rear my granny when she was growing up. When my granny got married, she helped rare her six children.
"When I was growing up, I was four or five when she passed away. I always remember her in my mind. She was so inspirational to us and caring for our family. She was famous for saying the rosary in Toby’s Hall.
"She always prayed for peace and this building is on the peaceline on Alliance Avenue beside a family centre. I thought the right name for our vision was Aunt Nellie’s."
A quick glance at the menu is also very family orientated, with some dishes named after Shauna's family. There are also three generations working at the café, with Shauna's 79-year-old granny and mum both helping out.
"Nicole's Favourite is named after my sister Nicole and an oven-baked baguette stuffed with roast chicken, pepperoni, melted cheese and taco sauce was her favourite thing," she added. "She used to get my mum to make it all the time for her.
"Gerald's Favourite is named after my brother. His favourite sandwich is salami, ham, lettuce, red onion and cheese.
"Plain Jane is named after my dad because he literally is so plain. He just likes white bread, butter, chicken and bacon.
"Aunt Bernie is also on the menu with the classic sausage, egg and chips. People seem to love it."
Shauna says she cannot thank the local Ardoyne community enough for their continued support.
"Opening a new business during Covid was a bit risky. I decided to just take a risk and face the fear and go for it," she said.
"We just celebrated our birthday on January 24 and are into our second year now.
"It has been a really successful first year. The support from the community has been phenomenal. It means a lot because my whole family is born and reared in Ardoyne.
"As for the teapots, we have had so many donated by the community which has become a bit of a quirky thing.
"My family have been so supportive too. I couldn't have done this past year without them as well as Grace Family Centre for their continued support."
