The Turkey Cafe, Leicester

Located on Granby Street, the Turkey Café is one of Leicester’s most distinctive architectural landmarks. Designed in 1901 by local architect Arthur Wakerley, the building is an Art Nouveau masterpiece, reflecting the era’s fascination with exoticism and ornamentation. Wakerley’s design blends elements of Turkish architecture with playful depictions of turkeys, uniting themes of both the country and the bird in an unmistakably Edwardian interpretation of “orientalism”.

The café’s striking façade features curvilinear forms and ceramic tiles, including matt-glazed Carraraware produced by the Royal Doulton Company. Upon completion, it was leased to John Winn, whose family ran it until the 1960s. During its prime, the café functioned as a respectable meeting place-particularly for women-offering an alternative to the pubs, which were often discouraged by anti-alcohol movements of the time.

Advertisements from 1911 boasted of Winn’s in-house bakery and coffee, which was roasted and ground hourly to preserve its delicious aroma. That same year, the café expanded to include a Smoke Room for gentlemen and additional tearooms, with entertainment provided by a Ladies’ Orchestra performing twice daily. The Turkey Café also became a social hub, frequently hosting local clubs and societies.

Although the interior has undergone multiple renovations, the exterior was faithfully restored in the 1980s by Rayners Opticians, using Wakerley’s original architectural drawings. Today, the Turkey Café remains a cherished relic of Leicester’s architectural heritage, a reminder of the flourishing café culture of the Edwardian era.