The man behind the Merrie England
Merrie England, Brighouse: from l: Chelsea Edwards, Louise Barker, Keith Hanselman, Mary Moisley and Amy McCarthy
KEITH Hanselman was all set for a job as a textile designer until he fell for a girl selling ice-cream.
The girl was to become his wife and before long his chosen career path had been diverted into catering. It was a fortuitous move for soon Keith and his wife Nita had set up and were running the successful Merrie England chain of coffee shops which are a familiar sight in many West Yorkshire shopping centres.
Forty years on, Keith has now handed over the day-to-day running of the business to his two younger daughters, Gina and Lisa, and in retirement he is enjoying a flourishing career as an artist, with his paintings winning prizes and being featured in exhibitions. When John Lewis refurbished the restaurant in its flagship London store, they chose 12 of Keith’s vibrant paintings to hang on the walls.
“It’s all come as a complete surprise,” said Keith who at 79 claims that he is still learning and looking for fresh inspiration.
Born in Halifax, Keith studied for a degree in art and textile design, had worked as a textile designer and was thinking of going to college when he met Nita. “I had finished National Service in 1951 and wanted to go to Bretton Hall but was told I would have to wait a year to take up my place. In that year I met Nita. Her parents ran the d’Agostino milk bar in Huddersfield and I got roped in to help out on busy Saturdays. Somehow it took over, I got more and more involved in the business and I didn’t go to Bretton Hall.”
The couple opened their first Merrie England coffee shop in 1970 and it was an instant success. “We reacted against all the Formica-topped tables that were in fashion at the time. We wanted a new type of place and we took our inspiration from the roast beef sandwiches that were one of our best-sellers. We had oak tables which have certainly stood the test of time and and we went for a look that harked back to ‘old England’.
“It just seemed to strike a chord and the Merrie England became the place to meet. We were quite innovative in our own way. We brought back the espresso coffee machines that we had seen on holiday in Italy and installed them in our own cafes and we had the first drive-in coffee shop at Oakes in Huddersfield. It was such a novelty that, at first, people would get out of their cars and knocked on the window to get served!”
There are now seven Merrie England establishments in Brighouse, Huddersfield and Halifax. “They are comfortable places with a welcoming atmosphere. Getting the right people is an important part of our success. Over the years other chains like Starbucks, Cafe Nero and Costa Coffee have come along but somehow we’ve managed to survive the competition and keep going.”
Even when he was running the business Keith maintained an interest in art and sketching and retirement has given him the time to rediscover his passion for painting. He has a studio at his home near Ainley Top and attends a weekly art class at Dean Clough in Halifax.
“I became friends with the artist Neville Fleetwood and together we went for tuition at Bill Selby’s studio. He gave us the time and space to experiment - and lots of encouragement. I was told that I would have to start exhibiting my work if I wanted to make an impact and that piece of advice turned out to be turning-point for me.”
Keith’s paintings have been accepted for the British Academy’s summer exhibition on three occasions - an indication of the quality of his work - and the Bath Fine Art gallery has held a solo exhibition of his paintings.
Keith was also friends with Brighouse artist Peter Brook. He spoke at the opening of an exhibition of Peter’s paintings at Harrison Lord at the weekend and a painting by the late Brighouse artist - who was also a regular customer at Merrie England - hangs in pride of place over his favourite seat in the Commercial Street coffee shop.
“I wasn’t looking for success as an artist and it has taken me by surprise but it’s very pleasing that people like my paintings,” said Keith.
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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