The cafe will also serve as a social enterprise, providing training and work experience for students at Portland College and Vision West Notts College.
A new cafe is due to open in a former bank building in Sutton, Ashfield. After the town’s Yorkshire Bank branch closed, Ashfield District Council refurbished the building, dividing the ground floor into two business spaces.
Tricia Ironside, a local entrepreneur who also operates the renowned Mill Waters Cafe at Kings Mill Reservoir, has leased these flats. On Friday, June 2, she will open Rendezvous Café and Bar at the site.
The cafe will also function as a social enterprise, providing training and work experience to students at Portland College and Vision West Notts College as part of their curriculum. Tricia collaborated with Vision West Notts College students to design the café’s menus and upcycle its furniture.
She has also hired three hospitality students from Portland College who will receive significant experience in the café by working on food preparation, customer service, and waiting tables. The cafe will provide a variety of contemporary breakfast and lunch options, such as loaded open sandwiches and rainbow pizzas.
Tricia stated, “I am overjoyed to be able to launch another business in Ashfield and collaborate with the council. They have been fantastic supporters, and I can’t wait to welcome you all to my new café. We hope to offer something unique in Sutton, and I am pleased to be able to collaborate with students from Portland College and Vision West Notts College to provide them with useful experiences.”
This is the first of two Future High Streets Fund initiatives for Low Street. The former YMCA shop will soon undergo renovations.
