Claire with the first anniversary cake
There's a certain kind of morning that only makes sense with a proper coffee in hand — and for the past twelve months, the people of Scotch Street haven't had to travel far to find one. Tucked into the Woolsey Shopping Complex on the Moy Road, Heart 2 Heart Coffee House has quietly become the sort of place a village doesn't quite remember being without. This week, it celebrates its first anniversary — one full year since opening its doors on 3 July 2025 — and that's a milestone worth raising a cup to.
A Mother, a Daughter, and a Leap of Faith
Heart 2 Heart is the work of Claire and her mum, Elaine — and it began with a brave decision. Claire left a career in ICT to build something of her own alongside her mother. "I was looking for a fresh start," she says. "I've always loved working with people, and owning a coffee house gave us the chance to create a business centred around great food, good coffee and genuine customer service."
She wasn't starting without a guide, either. Elaine has owned Country Fried Chicken in Cookstown for the past 31 years, and brings three decades of hard-earned hospitality wisdom to the kitchen — along with her cooking and baking — while Claire runs front of house.
The pair looked at several premises before the unit on Scotch Street became available, and it fitted the vision immediately: the large front window, the layout, the handy parking. As for the name? Claire toyed with "Two Hearts" — a nod to the two of them starting out together — before Heart 2 Heart clicked. "It represents both of us, while also reflecting the kind of place we wanted to create — a warm, welcoming coffee house where people feel at home, can catch up with friends and family, or simply enjoy a heart-to-heart over a coffee."
More Than Coffee: The Story Behind Charlie's Confectionery
Step inside and you'll find something you won't see in many coffee houses: an old-fashioned sweet shop, complete with traditional sweets in jars and a vintage set of Avery scales. Charlie's Confectionery is a piece of family history brought back to life. In the 1960s, Claire's step-grandfather, Charlie Whitten, owned C.H. Whittens in Portadown, and an old photograph of the shop became the inspiration — right down to tracking down scales just like the ones in the picture.
Alongside the sweets, Charlie's has grown to offer whippy ice cream, crêpes, waffles and cookie dough — and on Thursday and Sunday evenings, Heart 2 Heart opens late so dessert lovers can linger over something sweet in the café.
A Gathering Place for the Village
Ask Claire what sums the place up, and the answer isn't on the menu at all. "We have customers who visit at the same time every day or every week like clockwork, and we've got to know them so well that we often know exactly where they'll want to sit and what they'll order — sometimes even before they do."
That community spirit runs right through the first year. The coffee house has hosted a children's crochet club with Heartstrings NI, craft workshops and seasonal events, and Claire's flair for decorating the place for every occasion has become something of a local talking point. Her standout memory of year one? The Halloween party. "It was wonderfully chaotic, but it was such a success — seeing so many families enjoying themselves made all the hard work worthwhile."
The standards behind the scenes match the warmth out front: within its very first month of trading, Heart 2 Heart earned a top food hygiene rating of 5 — "Very Good" — from Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, with full marks across the board.
Here's to Year Two
So what's next? More of what's worked: more community events, more craft sessions and children's activities, more new faces through the door. "Bringing people together has always been at the heart of what we do," Claire says — and after a first year like this one, Scotch Street will happily hold her to it.
Practical Information
Heart 2 Heart Coffee House
Units 1–2, The Woolsey Shopping Complex
Moy Road, Scotch Street, Portadown BT62 1WH
Phone: 02838299199
Facebook: Heart 2 Heart Coffee House | Instagram: @heart2heartcoffeehouse
Opening hours: See Facebook for current hours — late nights Thursday and Sunday evenings
All images courtesy of Heart 2 Heart Coffee House
Have you been part of Heart 2 Heart's first year? Share your favourite memory — or your usual order — in the comments below, and why not call in this week to wish Claire and Elaine a happy anniversary in person?
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