We are proud to announce the opening of 3 Cups, an LGBTQ+ inclusive and alternative space in the heart of Durham town centre.
The brainchild of local sisters Bernie and Lindsey, 3 of Cups Durham offers home-cooked savoury food and incredible homemade cakes, enjoyed amongst a community of like-minded people – and you can also pick up spiritual gifts and get your tarot cards read on your visit.
Located at 58-62 North Road, Durham, the cafe has already opened its doors to the public. The name derives from the 3 of Cups tarot card, which is all about coming together as a community in a safe space, and celebrating what makes us who we are, together.
Profiles and quotes/background info
Lindsey – baking queen and tarot card reader
Lindsey worked in digital marketing for 17 years, reaching senior management level and working with prestigious clients such as Chanel, before the pandemic made her slow down, reassess and change course. As a heart transplant survivor, Covid was particularly tough for Lindsey and her husband.
“When Covid hit in 2020 and we all had to work from home, it was a shock to the system especially with being ‘clinically vulnerable’ due to my heart transplant in 2002. It helped me slow down and assess what I actually wanted. In 2024 I took a career break to refocus and realign with something that was more fulfilling, I turned a hobby for astrology and tarot reading into a small business and also trained as a crystal healer. Working at alternative markets and online I helped people via tarot readings, and selling astrology birth chart prints on Etsy. I really loved the community I’d become part of, but felt like the North East was lacking the witchy places I wanted to visit.”
Bernie – the entrepreneur and the boss
A natural entrepreneur and business brain, Bernie enjoyed a career in aesthetics, and had worked at Body Shop at Home building her own business for 8 years with a downline of thousands of people. When BSAH went into administration recently, it was all taken away.
When Bernie lost her business the sisters had a conversation about what was next. It had always been a dream of Bernies to open a bakery, and a jokey comment from Lindsey about a space incorporating both of their passions – baking and tarot – snowballed into a real life business plan.
Like Lindsey, it was vital for Bernie that the space be inclusive. They knew the vibe of the cafe should be welcoming for all, a witchy space where people could get tarot readings and purchase spiritual items, but also LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent friendly – two communities which often find solace in one another.
