A BUSINESSMAN who turned a lockdown hobby into a money-making venture has revealed plans to open a new coffee shop in Leigh.

Olly Tait, 37, says his new café, on Broadway West, will offer customers a "twist" by selling crystals, incense, tarot cards and books alongside the traditional hot drinks and homemade cakes.

It will also offer evening events where spiritual mediums will be invited to perform readings and use tarot cards to make predicitions about the future.

Olly launched a new business based around spirituality back in February last year after he lost his job during the Covid lockdowns.

He said: "I stumbled onto crystals through Instagram and got really into collecting them and learning their various meanings and properties.

"It quickly became an expensive hobby, and I found a wholesaler who sold them cheaper by the bulk I began selling them online, and made decent profit, I eventually made enough money to open a stand in Eastgate Market.

"It's been a bit crazy since it started, it feels like a dream how successful it's been, I believe there's genuine need for these tools.

"I invested the money into various stocks and bonds and have saved up enough to open a shop."

Spirituality has seen an increase in popularity over the last few years, with 13.3 billion views on the spirituality hashtag on Tiktok.

Olly added: "Kids seemed to be the ones who are leading the charge, I see kids come into the shop and educating their parents on Magick and crystal."

He hopes to expand and start a crystal wholesale business that supplies crystals to shops around the UK if his new coffee shop is a success.

The shop is having a soft opening on August 29 where locals can come and sneak-peak at the new site.

It will then formerly open in September.

Olly added: "Our coffee comes from Little Fin Coffee Roastery in Westcliff, they supply a few of the other coffee shops in Southend, and I can vouch that it is delicious, and a local business will be making these very decadent cheesecakes."