Family-run music shop chain celebrating 50 years of trading opens a branch in central Norwich on Monday 7th September, upstairs at Carberry’s Café in Wensum Street.
- Popular family-run retail chain oers the most diverse range of musical
instruments in the UK in nine existing locations from Edinburgh to Brighton - The branch in Norwich will be the 10th shop in the chain which specialises in folk
and acoustic musical instruments. - Hobgoblin Music celebrates 50 years of trading in 2026, despite tough conditions
that have challenged the industry - Musician-owned Carberry’s Café invited Hobgoblin Music to trade upstairs because “Norwich needs more music shops”
A new branch of the folk and acoustic musical instrument chain Hobgoblin Music will open in Norwich on Monday 7th September. The new shop will be in the upstairs rooms of Carberrys Café on Wensum Street, providing customers with a range of new and second hand acoustic instruments like guitars, violins, mandolins, banjos, woodwind, concertinas and more, as well as a big selection of spare parts and accessories.
Carberrys is a well established café close to Norwich Cathedral and the picturesque shopping streets of Tombland. Serving drinks, breakfasts, lunches and home-made cakes and waffles, the café has a warm atmosphere and is valued by customers for its delicious food and friendly staff. Owners Dan and Louise invited Hobgoblin to trade in their upstairs room after a national music shop chain closed down in 2025, leaving a gap in the Norwich music scene. Dan is a musician, playing guitar, violin and banjo, and the café has hosted folk music nights for many years. Dan said “Not many music shops stock a big range of folk music supplies, but Norfolk has a lot of folk gigs and clubs. Hobgoblin supplies most of what those musicians need and I really wanted to bring them into Norwich to boost the local scene”.
Hobgoblin Music is 50 years old this year, and has weathered the storms of rising costs and online competition that have shaken the industry. They are well known for their expertise and friendly advice, welcoming beginners and experts alike. All branches of Hobgoblin Music keep up a brisk trade in second hand instruments. Anyone with a musical instrument to sell is advised to get in touch by email.
The Norwich branch of Hobgoblin Music will be open for 5 days a week from Monday 7th September, 9am – 4pm. Owners Pete, Mannie and Nicola and the new sales team Jim and Nic are looking forward to meeting their new customers on Monday.
Nicola Rain, Co-Owner at Hobgoblin Music, comments: “When Dan and Louise approached us about opening a shop above their cafe, my parents and I came up to Norwich with an open mind, and we fell in love with the city, and with the beautiful space we were being offered. We know Norwich and the surrounding area have a big traditional music scene, but there has been a shortage of supplies for local folk musicians. On our first trip up we met our new manager, Jim McCann and we knew we had to give it a try”.
