A BASINGSTOKE grandmother who was made redundant has turned her misfortune around after opening a new cafe in the town.

Sue Highfield lost her job as a tax advisor for Inland Revenue 18 months ago, and her luck took another turn for the worse when she was then diagnosed with breast cancer.

After recovering from the disease, the 59-year-old set about trying to find a new job, but her efforts were not paying off.

“I found it very difficult,” she told The Gazette.

“I couldn’t get an interview or when I did get an interview I didn’t get a reply.”

But rather than feeling sorry for herself, the mother-of-three and grandmother-of-seven decided to take back control of her life and looked into setting up her own business.

She approached her friend, 55-year-old Tricia Murray, and the pair set to work on a plan to open a cafe.

Sue said: “I have done catering in the past and I heard that the people who ran a cafe at Oakridge Hall for All had left and I thought ‘why not?’. I contacted Tricia and we set it up. We are old birds starting a new adventure.”

Nanny Sue’s Kitchen opened at Oakridge Hall for All on November 2, and is already proving popular with the community having achieved 25 five-star reviews on Facebook.

“Our main aim is to offer good quality at a good price with great customer service,” explained Sue.

The cafe specialises in pick-and-mix breakfasts, but also offers cakes, drinks and lunches throughout the week.

Sue said her life has changed dramatically since she was made redundant, adding: “We are both office workers so it was a bit of a shock to start with but now we have a routine and it’s great. We know what we need to do. It’s brilliant.

“I was a face-to-face advisor in the tax office and that’s what I liked. I like people. I just love seeing people and talking with them. It’s right up my street. And it’s nice being your own boss.”

The pair are now looking to set up a lunch club on a Monday for older people, and also offer catering for any functions held at the hall.

“We are listening to our customers,” said Sue. “If it’s good, they will come back. We are trying to be adaptable because we can, and listening to what people want.”

Nanny Sue’s Kitchen, in Forsythia Walk, is open from 7am to 2pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 12noon on a Saturday.

For more information on the cafe visit facebook.com/nanny sueskitchen.