A SUCCESSFUL husband and wife business team are hoping their new venture will become a hub of the Sale community.

Michelle and Graham Starling, 39 and 42, from Woodville Drive, set up one of the country’s most successful lazer quest’s at the Trafford Centre eight years ago, and have helped organise more than 14,000 birthday parties.

The couple, who have three small children at Park Road School, spent three years looking for the perfect Trafford building to operate their new business before settling on the Old Sorting Office in Sale town centre.

Bean and Brush Family Art Cafe, on Hayfield Street, was officially opened by the Mayor of Trafford, Councillor Ken Weston on Tuesday May 3.

Michelle hopes it will become a community centre for people to bring their children.

“I have been to a lot of cafes with my children and have been asked to leave as soon as I’ve finished my coffee.

“We just wanted to make a place for families to come together.”

The couple have retained the building’s original industrial brickwork and windows, and built a mezzanine floor above the 72-seater cafe, which will house the art and craft centre.

Children can paint a pot, make clay imprints, hand paint plates and use specialist paper to gloss, glue and decorate a variety of items, and the couple are planning to run art classes and birthday praties from the venue.

They have teamed up with Glebeland’s City Growers, Clippy’s Apples, Taylor’s the butchers, Dunham Massey Brewery and other Trafford-based companies for ingredients for the cafe and hope to keep using local suppliers.

“It’s not the cheapest way of operating but it’s what we believe in and what we want to do.

“We are passionate about putting things back into the community,” Michelle said.