Hannah Elliott
Which goes first, the cream or the jam?
This is the question I’m pondering at the Country Garden Café in the village of Mortlach , Sask.
Susan Franklyn, the cheery café owner, apologizes for not having any homemade jam on hand today. I don’t mind, and quite honestly, I’m amazed that she offers homemade jam— a treat rarely found in restaurants—at all.
It’s truly the little added touches like this that make the Country Garden Café such a unique and inviting destination. Since the café opened nearly three years ago, Susan and her husband Michael have strived to create a cozy atmosphere where guests can sit down, relax, and enjoy some conversation and home-cooked British cuisine.
“I didn’t want a restaurant atmosphere,” explains Susan. “I wanted a place where you can come in for a cup of tea or coffee and you can sit in the corner for as long as you like.”
Appropriately enough, there’s a sign on the wall with a motto that reflects this ideology: “Sit Long, Talk Much.” It accompanies several other whimsical decorations displayed throughout the café, including a collection of hats, masquerade masks and floral arrangements. Even the restroom has been elegantly decorated with flowers.
The café has expanded in the past few years. The Franklyns now offer a full-service menu, complete with traditional British treats like fish and chips, knickerbocker glory (a dessert made with layers of ice cream and fruit), and of course, fresh baked scones.
Susan says she enjoys adding special touches to the food, like sprinkling powdered sugar on scones and artfully arranging the salads.
“I like to do craftwork. When you go to a restaurant, (the food) is ‘put’ on there. Here, it’s ‘placed’. . .I like creating things.”
Originally from Wales Calgary
“We came here to retire,” says Susan. “I was just talking to somebody one day, and they said, ‘We could do with a tea place nearby, or something.’”This struck a chord with Susan, who enjoyed visiting tea houses with her grandparents back home in England
“(Business) grew 100 percent in the first 12 months, and this year we’re looking at another 60 percent,” says Michael Franklyn.
Both Susan and Michael agree that one of the advantages of running a café in a small town is having the opportunity to interact with the customers, which isn’t always possible with big city restaurants.
“We make a point of (chatting with the people),” says Michael. “We make a point of coming out and asking people where they’re from, why they’re here, and we recommend certain things for them to try.”
He adds that they’ve even had some celebrities drop by the café, including one of HGTV’s Designer Guys, and Jack Poole, the businessman and former Mortlach resident who brought the Olympics to Vancouver
Another positive thing about small town businesses, says Michael, is that they all work in conjunction with each other, not in competition.
“Ken owns the Rock Shop down (the street). We send people down to see the Rock Shop, and Ken does the same. His success is my success, that’s the way we look at it.”
In all, the Franklyns are very content with their lives, and with the café.
“How can you call this work? You can’t,” says Susan. “I’ll be busy this week with baking and shopping because I’ve been away, but when that’s caught up, I can come here during the day and read a book.”
But surely, running any business comes with a bit of stress, right?
“No,” Susan chuckles. “It’s only stressful if I run out of scones and I have to make them.”
(-30-)
