All Saints Church Cafe Closes for Refit
| Published: 28th June 2008 11:56 |
New Look For All Saints Church Cafe
The Cafe at All Saints' Church in the centre of Northampton has closed after 44 years of serving townspeople.
Management of the cafe has been handed over to Tony Ansell, who already runs the Abington Park Cafe.
It is expected to re-open by the end of the year complete with a new name and extended outdoor and indoor dining areas.
Valerie Peet, the head chef at the cafe, retired yesterday and said that, while she was sad to go, she was looking forward to putting her feet up.
She said: "I want to have some time for myself. I've worked here for the last six years and I have loved every minute of it.
"The volunteers and the customers here are lovely people and I will miss them all."
Tony Ansell told the Chronicle & Echo he had been discussing the project for more than four years.
He said: "The final details haven't been worked out yet, but there will be new toilets, made to a very high standard, much larger seating areas and the whole cafe will be very fashionable and tasteful."
He added he hoped the venture would bring a new lease of life to the town centre.
He said: "I'm very much looking forward to it. I'm very confident that, together with the new investment in that part of town, which will start at about the time of the cafe opening, this will help encourage some of the big shops back to Northampton."
Under the terms of the 25-year lease, the church will get the profit from the cafe's rent, but the money made will be invested into business ventures.
Mr Ansell said: "The church will profit greatly by that. It should be good for everyone."
Canon Alan Horsley, the honorary assistant pastor at All Saints', said: "The cafe is very useful to the church and the community, but the time has come for refurbishment and this involves closure and opening in the autumn."
Source: Chronicle & Echo
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