AN INDEPENDENT business has been appointed to run the café at Wokingham’s Cantley Park.
Situated in The Pavilion, the venue will be run by Cleverchefs from Saturday, June 1.
They already run three cafes in Dinton Pastures in Hurst, including The Coffee Deck at the outdoor activity centre.
Now they will run a fourth. Their Cantley venue will open 9am to 4pm on weekdays and 8.30am to 4pm at weekends.
The contract has been awarded by Wokingham Borough Council which says it has been working hard on the future of the venue, and ensure any café was a viable business. They say Cleverchefs’ experience in running Dinton’s cafes will stand it in good stead.
Cllr Imogen Shepherd-DuBey, executive member for finance at the council, said she was delighted with the new arrangement.
“With a fantastic reputation for the work Cleverchefs have done at Dinton Pastures Country Park, we have every confidence that they will bring a high-quality service to residents and build on their already strong track record.
“We look forward to working with Cleverchefs to establish a longer-term approach that works best for our community.”
She added: “We had to ensure we explored all options and found a solution that worked for our residents and provided a practical way forward. We have got to make the most of our assets and protect frontline services, but we also want to ensure residents are heard in a process such as this.
“I am sure many families and users of the park will be pleased to see a café provision will continue here and wish Cleverchefs the very best.”
The firm has strong eco-credentials, using alternatives to plastic where possible and serving handmade produce.
Founder director Nick Collins said: “We are delighted to be adding to our growing portfolio in Wokingham Borough and look forward to offering the locals a variety of flavoursome and exciting treats.
“We know how much people enjoy going out for a good cup of coffee and we are proud to offer our very own Ground Control Coffee and a selection of sweet treats, produced by our own team of creative chefs.
“We are passionate about each and every dish we produce and firmly believe good food and drink should be the highlight of everyone’s day. With that in mind, we look forward to feeding those visiting Cantley Park.”
The café at Cantley will close at noon on Friday, May 31, before reopening the following morning under the new management.
