Sleek interiors, a strong smell of coffee, warm welcome, and a hand painted portrait of Jill Scott: this is what to expect if you visit Boxx2Boxx coffee shop.
The cafe, on Palatine Road in Northenden, is popular with footballers, with a nook dedicated to photos of the famous faces who have popped in for a coffee. But, perhaps, another reason people visit Boxx2Boxx is to happen upon England Lioness and Manchester City player Jill Scott.
Jill Scott, and her partner Shelly Unitt, have owned Boxx2Boxx coffee shop since 2021, named for Jill's infamous role as a box-to-box midfielder, hosts a range of events from Wednesday walks to board game nights. Boxx2Boxx is a true piece of Northenden’s community.
Read more: Gary Lineker deletes his Lionesses tweet after backlash following Euro 2022 win
Shelly returned to the coffee shop, following the Lioness’ Euros win at Wembley, and spoke to the MEN about how the Euros had affected business. She said: “Since the Euros have been on, obviously it’s very busy anyway if I’m being totally honest, but then when Jill is in the shop, it just goes completely manic, wild. Everyone wants to come down and chat and Jill’s got a lot of time for everybody.
“I feel like everybody pulls together and comes in. Jill will come in once or twice a week, dependent on training and her availability, really.
“On the Euros, for the day that it kicked off, it went ballistic. We had to have like five staff in, there were queues out the door, everyone was just coming in, from all over the country though.
“We even had someone from Hong Kong, they said that they’d literally come from London to Manchester and came into the shop. Australia too, and it was just for a meeting hopefully. There’s a corner of football, we didn’t want it in your face or anything like that.
“For the whole [opening] week, from Monday to Friday, it was manic, like we needed a bigger shop. Honestly, we had to buy like six more tables and chairs to fit outside, the queues were just ridiculous.”
Shelly, whose sister Rachel Unitt was also a Lioness, has become quite used to various football players paying the coffee shop a visit, but is committed to the cafe being a place in the community that serves great quality coffee and that people want to return to to enjoy a cup of coffee and just relax.
She said: “The city girls are always in, there’s Lauren, Kiera and Lucy. Then, obviously, when the girls are up from London, we have the Arsenal and Chelsea girls come in.
“You know, they come and support our coffee shop, but I think they just like the coffee don’t they, it’s trendy. We’ve had Fara Williams, there’s been loads of people who just come and grab a coffee.
“We get great coffee, that’s the priority, [customers] don’t want a chain, they want independents. I’m a chatterbox and so is Jill, we want you to come back, and say good things and have a chat.”
Shop manager, Eleonora Menga, had never seen a football match before Sunday’s UEFA Women’s Euros final on Sunday, and explained how odd it was to see her boss playing for England.
She said: “I’m really not into football, so when I met Jill and Shelly, I wasn’t sure who was the football player. But during my time with them, I’ve been in the stadium with them.
“I’m really not into football at all, so it was my first time in a stadium and I watched my first game, the final.
“It was amazing, it was different, but I have nothing to compare it to, male or female. As well, I think female football in the UK is very, very [emotional].
“In Italy, it’s a bit different, I never hear about women’s football, but here, it’s a really important thing and I really enjoy being a part of the coffee shop that’s owned by women.
“Its very exciting to see my boss on adverts on the street, on the television.”
Boxx2Boxx is open 9am - 3pm Monday to Friday and 10am - 3pm on Saturday and Sunday. On Wednesdays, the group walks start at 11am and you get a free coffee.
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