All in all it's Tickety-Boo

A once-vacant building in the heart of Ottery St Mary in East Devon has been given a new lease of life as a stylish café and children’s play kingdom.

Tickety-Boo is the brainchild of East Devon businessman Stuart Phillips, who came up with the concept after purchasing the old Millstone Bakery site in Mill Street.

The venue combines a café serving barista made coffee and a wide range of home cooked food with a unique play zone for children up to the age of 11 featuring a treehouse, castle and sweet shop – all handcrafted by local tradespeople.

Stuart said: “As a dad of three, I thought the town would really benefit from a place where parents could take their children – and my own children agreed. Rosie, Molly and Connor have all had a say in the design.

“However, Tickety-Boo isn’t just for the youngsters. It offers a great environment for adults to enjoy high quality food all made on the premises.”

Tickety-Boo’s resident chef is Dave Goldthorpe, who previously cooked at the Victoria Hotel in Sidmouth. He is committed to using locally sourced ingredients and creating food from scratch. He said:

“There’s not a hint of frozen food or deep fryers in our kitchen; everything is freshly made with the very best of ingredients, and we are adding to the range all the time.

“We have had a number of customer enquiries about various dietary requirements, and we’re already offering various options including gluten free and flour free cakes.”

Dave is responsible for organising Tickety-Boo’s occasional pop-up restaurant nights – with the first, a Thai night, scheduled for late September. He is ably supported by front of house manager, Jane North.

The venue also includes a basement events room. Once a dark and dank area, it now provides a vibrant space that has been painstakingly hand painted to produce the perfect atmosphere for children’s parties, craft demos and other events, including a ‘mini first aid’ course on October 5.

The new business has made a commitment to working closely with the local community. The Curious Otter Bookshop is providing books for the reading zone, and the café boasts displays of goodies from other local businesses, which are available for purchase. Otter Valley ice creams take pride of place at the front of the café and have proved extremely popular with the recent warm summer weather.

Stuart says Tickety-Boo intends to work closely with Ottery’s secondary school, The Kings School, displaying and selling student artwork as well as setting up a homework club where students can enjoy healthy smoothies and snacks.

“I have been overwhelmed by the huge amount of positive feedback I’ve had from so many townspeople, who are pleased to see something that benefits parents and children as well as the community as a whole. “This is very much a developing business and the whole team is excited to see where things go.”