The Leader is continuing to put the spotlight on local independent traders and high street heroes across Wrexham and Flintshire.

If you know of or are a business that goes above and beyond, we want to hear from you, and celebrate our local independent traders and high street heroes. Email claire.pierce@newsquest.co.uk for more details.

ALEXANDER'S, Mold

March 2020 should have seen Craig Lewis celebrate 10 years of business. Instead he was left questioning the future of his Mold café, Alexander's, as the coronavirus lockdown saw the country grind to a halt.

But instead of throwing in the towel, he took a different path. Like so many others with a business they had built up, Craig took the opportunity to adapt.

The Leader:

Above: Alexander's Tall House logo, inspired by the Welsh cartoonist Grenfell Jones, and a pepperoni pizza coming out the oven.

Craig explains: "For the last 10 years, Alexander's has been running as a successful café in the town centre. We have always taken pride in offering excellent quality produce and service.

"This March was our 10th anniversary and it hasn't been quite what I had in mind.

"Since the café was closed in March we have agonised over the future of the business and couldn't see reopening as a viable option in these current times.

"Something we have talked about over the years is changing to a café/pizzeria, as making dough and pizza for my family is something I have always loved. So that is what we have decided to do.

"We have now reopened a new stone baked, home made pizza takeaway, until life returns to a little more normality. With the intention that Alexander's Café will return during the day and expand our service into the evening with a fully licenced pizzeria and takeaway."

The Leader:

Above: Craig Lewis with the cafe's new pizza oven.

Craig is joined in the running of the business by wife Laura, who takes care of the financial and admin side of things, and son William, 16, who is helping cook the pizzas.

They also have Linda Firmstone, a cook who has been with them for seven years and is "part of the family", and has gotten stuck into decorating at the cafe over lockdown.

The Leader:

Above: Alexander's homemade dough.

Alexander's success really speaks for itself and it's something Craig is rightly proud of.

On asking what was his most memorable or proudest moment in business was, Craig put his customers top of the list.

He said: "My best achievement in business is being open for 10 years in a really competitive environment, and throughout this time we managed to maintain a very loyal customer base.

"There were a lot of regular customers who we met in the first few months of opening that were still coming to Alexander's regularly, right up until the hospitality sector was closed by the Government."

And while things are certainly different just now, there are plenty of good memories, and humour plays a big part at the cafe.

Craig said: "Over the years there have been plenty of strange and funny incidents at the café.

"Employees successfully playing April Fool pranks on me, having to speak to customers for openly 'heavy petting' at the table and I have had to search for a few sets of false teeth in the rubbish as well.

"One customer even came back to the café after having had lunch, to ask me if I had seen his stepladder as he had left it somewhere. Not something you normally mislay on a lunch out."

The Leader:

Above: The cafe's new pizza oven in the shop front "so when we open as a restaurant, our customers will be able to see the pizzas being made and enjoy the atmosphere of the fire".

I ask Craig about the future, and he is realistic but impressively optimistic.

He said: "It's a horrible time for everyone in our industry but having said that, we're in a good position to sustain the business through this, and then build it from the foundations back up again.

"The plan is it will be bigger and better than it was.

"The current situation was the catalyst for the changes, it was now or never."

With another two weeks of lockdown underway, there's never been a better excuse to treat yourself while supporting local business at the same time.

I for one am already pencilling it in for a night off from cooking and the dishes.

• Alexander's

52 High Street

Mold

07912 159 802

Facebook - @alexanderscafe52

Instagram - alexanders52pizza

Pizzas are available to order via phone or social media, and Alexander's is open for collection from 5pm-8pm Wednesday to Saturday