Stevie Wonder left a £1,000 tip for the crew at a Stalybridge cafe
After a Manchester concert, Wonder and his band ate late at Cafe Continental. Owner Ryan Robinson said the singer stayed to talk, and the tip was a first for the staff.
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Staff at Cafe Continental in Stalybridge split a £1,000 tip after Stevie Wonder ate there in the middle of the night. The BBC reported on November 10, 2026, that the visit followed his sold-out performance of Songs in the Key of Life at Manchester's Co-op Live. Owner Ryan Robinson said band members had called the cafe about 18 months earlier, while they were playing behind another singer, and stayed in touch. On Sunday they asked to come back after the show.
The band arrived around 11 p.m. About 12:30 a.m., four minibuses pulled up and Wonder was in one of them. The staff had been warned they would work late and serve something other than the Sunday roast. Robinson said Wonder, 76, talked with people and was easy company, and that his daughter and backing singer Aisha was among the party. He said the tip, from Wonder and the band, was a first for the room. The cafe opened two years ago. The news is this one late meal and the £1,000. It does not say how the money was divided.
For the classroom
The BBC reported on November 10, 2026, that singer Stevie Wonder ate late at Cafe Continental in Stalybridge, near Manchester, and left a £1,000 tip for the staff. He had just played his album Songs in the Key of Life at the Co-op Live arena. The band arrived about 11 at night. Wonder came in minibuses around 12:30. Owner Ryan Robinson said the singer was happy to talk with people, and that his daughter Aisha, a backing singer, was there too. The cafe stayed open late and cooked a different menu from the usual Sunday roast. Robinson said the tip was a first for everyone who works there. The cafe opened two years ago, and the band had found it after an earlier visit.
- Why might a large tip matter to people who stayed late to cook and serve?
- What is a small thank-you you could give someone who did extra work?
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