Much-loved Hereford cafe closed after decades of serving locals

The Matabeau Cafe, in Commercial Street, was a popular haunt for many Herefordians before its closure in January that year.

Known for its breakfasts, coffee, milkshakes, and crusty rolls, the Matabeau was a fixture in the street for decades.

The cafe had previously briefly closed in 1992, when it underwent major renovations.

Owner Angelo Moruzzi outside the newly renovated Matabeau in Hereford in 1992. Picture: Hereford Times (Image: Hereford Times)

Joint owner Angelo Moruzzi, who also owned the Friar Tuck chip shop, told the Hereford Times in September of that year that the works had been carried out with the aim of making the cafe one of Hereford's leading "food all day" houses.

For Mr Moruzzi, affectionately known as Mister M, this was the culmination of 17 years of expansion to his business, the Hereford Times reported.

"All his experience and knowledge has been ploughed back into the attractive setting at the new Matabeau and his own pride in the achievement simply shines through," the report at the time said.

"The same pride shows in the smiling staff - people like Betty Jarman and Susan Jones who have been with the business since it started."

And members of our We Grew Up in Hereford group on Facebook have shared their fond memories of the cafe.

"My parents used to come in to Hereford every Wednesday and they used to park in a carpark in Maylord Street. They then used to walk down Gomond Street and we used to then go to The Matabeau for coffee.Weekly ritual," said Dinah Jones.

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Janet Walton said she and her mum loved the Matabeau.

"Lovely ham salad rolls and the coffee was good too," she said.

"When my children came along took them there as well when we visited Hereford."

Mister M, who died aged 75 in 2008, retired from the cafe in 1996.

Pepe's Piri Piri gears up to open in 2019. Picture: Hereford Times (Image: Hereford Times)

The site, which sat empty for some time after the Matabeau's sudden closure, later reopened as Pepe's Piri Piri in 2019.