Bargain Hunt star to open new Midlands cafe offering customers a little extra

A coffee shop with a difference is set to open - and along with a brew and a bite, customers could make themselves a small fortune. Richard Winterton Auctioneers is opening The Auction Café in Market Street in Lichfield city centre on Monday, December 9, in the former The Bureau Bar and Brasserie premises.

The Grade II-listed café site will offer coffee, tea, cakes, cream teas and savoury snacks. But there will also be free valuations of jewellery and antiques.

Anyone with watches, gold, silver and jewellery can bring them in for a valuation on Tuesday, December 10 or 17, between 9.30am and noon and 1pm and 3.30pm. The café is yards from Winterton’s first office which opened in Breadmarket Street in 1864.

READ MORE: Free multi-storey parking offer in city in run-up to Christmas

The café will be the latest expansion for Bargain Hunt regular, Richard Winterton, adding to the business’s auction centre in Fradley Park and salesroom in Tamworth town centre. The auctioneer and managing director of the business said: “We’ve been so excited to mark our 160-year family milestone with this new venture in the heart of Lichfield right next door to Samuel Johnson’s Birthplace.

“Now we are delighted to finally be able to spill the beans on our opening date of December 9. Number 34 Market Street is a brilliant location in Lichfield city centre for people to have their jewellery, watches, silver and antiques valued and/or treat themselves to some delicious drinks and choice cakes."

“On December 10 and December 17 we are delighted to welcome respected Midlands valuer Georgina Southam FIRV FGA DGA BA (Hons) to The Auction Café. A Fellow of both the Institute of Registered Valuers and the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, Georgina will be offering free valuations of jewellery, watches, gold and silver at our new premises on those dates.

“It’s a great opportunity to discuss your treasures with an independent specialist in the field and discover what The Auction Café is all about.

Brumwish 2024 - buy a gift for a child in need

BrumWish 2024 is Birmingham Live's festive drive to get thousands of gifts to children and young people across our city - among them the homeless, the vulnerable, kids in care, kids who are poorly or struggling, and kids who have little.

There are THREE simple ways to help.

1. Buy a new gift from the Brumwish 2024 Amazon giftlist. In just a click your donation will be whizzing its way to our volunteers at Edgbaston Stadium.
2. Donate money to the appeal fund hosted by Thrive Together Birmingham - this will help pay for gifts for kids with specialist needs or specific wishes.
3. Buy a gift and, even better, rope in friends, neighbours and workmates to do the same, then drop off your pressies at Edgbaston Stadium, Edgbaston Road, B5 7QU on Friday 6th December, 10am - 3pm; Saturday 7th December, 10am - 1pm; or Monday 9th December, 10am - 1pm. Volunteers will be there to help you. Please don't wrap your gifts. You can also drop off by arrangement until Monday 16th December - contact Louise on 07469 979286.

Thanks to our partnership with #Toys4Birmingham, every single gift will find a good home in the loving care of a child living in B&Bs or hotels, hostels or refuges, children receiving support from specialist organisations and charities, and families being supported by children's centres and charities around the city.

Making up the Brumwish and Toys4Birmingham gang are Thrive Together Birmingham, Birmingham Playcare Network, Warwickshire Cricket Foundation (the charitable arm of Warwickshire County Cricket Club), Birmingham Forward Steps and BirminghamLive/Birmingham Mail.

Thank you to Amazon UK and the amazing team at the Sutton Coldfield depot for their support.

“As well as offering free valuations and specialist advice, we have lots of plans for 2025 including special events and talks covering all aspects of the auction world, so watch this space.”

A spokesman for the business said: “Celebrating 160 years in 2024, Wintertons has been a driving force in the auction world for seven generations, yielding gavels across Staffordshire since 1864. With its headquarters remaining at The Lichfield Auction Centre, Fradley Park, the firm opened an additional auction house in Tamworth in 2021.

“2022 marked a quarter of a century since Richard Winterton and wife Janet took over the family business and today sons Tom, Ben, Harry and James are all part of the firm.