Based just yards from Altrincham Market, LD24 has become a firm favourite of the town’s coffee connoisseurs. As it celebrates its first birthday, we speak to one half of the husband and wife team behind it, Joe Mullarkey.
ALTRINCHAM TODAY: You’ve just celebrated your first birthday in Altrincham – how has the first 12 months been?
JOE MULLARKEY: We can’t quite believe how fast that has come around! It’s been a great 12 months. Naturally a challenge at points but we are now in a great place with plenty of regular faces and really enjoying what we are doing!
AT: This is actually your second coffee shop – the first LD24 opened in Stockton Heath and has proved a big hit. What made you want to open in Altrincham in the first place?
JM: Correct! Stockton Heath has just celebrated its fourth birthday and we opened with a view to having multiple sites.
With the success of Stockton Heath we were in a position to look for shop number two and we were recommended the site in Altrincham. I know Altrincham very well. I have a lot of appreciation for the town and I felt what we offer at LD24 would be a great addition.
AT: You have a great location here, just a few yards from Altrincham Market. For people who may not have paid a visit yet, what do you offer?
JM: Thank you! So you can find us at the back end of the market up the small set of stairs next door to the library. We offer specialty coffee roasted by Carvetii Coffee. Loose leaf teas, hand made hot chocolates and a variety of soft drinks and coffee alternatives.
We have a small savoury food menu (that’s proved a hit!) and hand made cakes and sweet treats from a variety of bakers. You can enjoy all of this in a relaxed and friendly environment while listening to some great music.
AT: Can you tell us a bit more about the business and how you got into coffee in the first place?
JM: Of course… I’ve been a coffee drinker since I can remember and going back approximately 10 years ago I tried a cup of coffee that tasted like nothing I’d had before!
Having asked why this particular coffee tasted so good I was told I was drinking ‘specialty grade coffee’ and that is where my obsession started!
My free time was spent travelling around cafes and coffee shops that served only specialty coffee. The more time I spent in these shops the more I envisioned owning my own.
A unit became available in my home village of Stockton Heath and I knew that If somebody else besides me opened a specialty coffee shop there I would have huge regrets! So the wheels were put into motion and LD24 was born!
AT: How important is the coffee itself – we hear you’re something of an aficionado?
JM: My mission is to serve the best tasting coffee. The cup I mentioned above was roasted by Carvetii Coffee.
I got in touch with the owner Gareth and quickly realised how serious these guys take their coffee and how confident we felt working with them. They provide us with truly fantastic coffee and it is our job to brew that coffee to perfection and serve it to our customers. This is what we do daily and are very proud of.
We measure the dose of every single cup that goes out and are constantly monitoring things like brew times, temperature and grinder settings to ensure a consistent cup of coffee.
AT: Although you’re fairly new to Altrincham, you do have a few connections here don’t you?
JM: Yes! My grandad was an Altrincham resident many years ago! My mum went to school here and fast forward to now where my brother Toby plays for Altrincham FC. So as a family we have a lot of love for the place!
AT: Looking to the future, what are your plans for the business?
JM: For LD24 as a business I want to keep building our reputation and be renowned for serving the best coffee.
I feel we are firmly cemented in Stockton Heath and we are receiving some fantastic feedback from the residents of Altrincham. There are plans for more sites in the Cheshire area and we will build from there!
It’s been a brilliant 12 months in Altrincham so far and we want to say a huge thank you to everyone that’s been in and said hello… we hope you enjoyed your coffee!
LD24, 4 Pott Street, Altrincham WA14 1AH. Follow @ld24coffee on Instagram
Photography: Laura Marie Linck
