We are delighted to announce that our coffee shop, located on Bedford Road, has been named as a finalist in the prestigious Carlsberg Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2017/18.
Serving a variety of tasty food in a friendly and relaxed environment, our coffee shop offers freshly prepared sandwiches, hot options such as paninis and jacket potatoes, alongside sweet favourites including delicious cakes and flapjacks. Like many of the other finalists in the ‘Independent Café / Tea Room of the Year’ category (sponsored by Pidy UK), we use local, fresh produce wherever possible.
What makes our establishment different to other brilliant eateries in Northampton is that the people who prepare and serve the produce have mental illnesses, learning disabilities, autism or brain injuries.
Many of the people who attend the coffee shop are patients from St Andrew’s Healthcare or members of the community, who come to develop their work and life skills while building confidence and making new friends in a supportive environment.
As part of the judging process, Louise Ellis-Lane, a Vocational Skills Instructor at Workbridge, and Darren Ross, a service user who works in the coffee shop, recently attended a ‘bake off’ event where they baked for the judges.
“It was a great morning," Louise explained. "We took part alongside three other coffee shops, and had two hours to make a scone and a cake for the judging panel. Darren and I baked a cheddar cheese scone and a white chocolate and raspberry cake.
"In addition to the cooking, we also had to set the table, prepare a drink and present our items. It was difficult but really enjoyable. Darren was excellent, he worked really hard and kept everyone entertained throughout!”
The Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards is a prestigious, annual competition aimed at celebrating all that is great about local food and drink, recognising excellence within the county’s dining and drinking venues and rewarding those who work hard within the culinary sector. The competition culminates in a spectacular Awards Dinner in the autumn at which the results in all categories are announced.
