AN iconic Northwich café that featured on the Charlatans’ album cover has served up its last meal.

The Melting Pot, in Witton Street, shut up shop over the weekend.

Sue Greenwood took over the Weaverdale Café, which has been a mainstay in the town since 1947, in the late 90s.

She renamed it The Melting Pot after it appeared on the Northwich rock band’s greatest hits album in 1998.

Sue, 56, said: “It is the oldest café in the town, there is nobody else who can claim to have been the oldest café.

“It was there since just after the war. The Americans used to use it. They would come in and park their jukebox.

“It has seen generation after generation. I’ve heard stories of mods and rockers, there were all sorts who was there.

“But its claim to fame was featuring on the Charlatans' album cover.”

Sue said the town has changed almost beyond recognition over the years.

“When I first came here the town was really busy," she said. "It was like playing rugby, you had to dodge people.

"Now you have to walk in a straight line, you hardly see a soul sometimes.

“You look at the amount of people who live in the town, there should be more people coming in.”

With her customer-base dwindling and her current lease coming to an end, Sue made the decision to call it a day.

She admitted that Barons Quay played a part in her decision.

She said: “I couldn’t see a point to carrying on with everything that’s happening to the town. Lots of other people will be coming in, the fact is it just wasn’t viable to carry on any more.

“There aren’t enough people coming in to keep the cafés going. The overall picture is I just can’t see the way forward.”

Sue said the café’s closure is the ‘end of an era’.

The florists who trade above the café have agreed to take on the lease.

She said her final day was an emotional one.

She said: “I spent only Friday cooking and then Saturday and Sunday I spent cleaning the place out for the next people to move in.

“It was very sad but it’s the end of an era.

“I was more upset when the customers I have had for such a long time said good bye, people I’ve known for years.

“I’ve made a lot of friends. Hopefully life will allow us to keep in touch.”