Mountsfield Park Café

Coffee Bars and CafesThere has been a resurgence in café parks in recent years and there are a number of local examples that provide successful models of park cafes which range from those that are individually run, part of the Pistachio franchises, community owned or part of a larger organisation.The UK Coffee shop market grew by 7.5% in 2012 and was worth £5.8bn (The Project Café Report 2012 Allegra Strategies) and therefore twice as many people visit coffee shops as those in 2009, demonstrating their resilience during an economic downturn.Park Cafes are becoming a destination in themselves www.standard.co.uk/goingout/restaurants/park-cafes-in-london-8574003.html but combined with good play facilities they can help make a 1 hr visit to a park a full day out.In recent years a number of trends have developed for park use including organised exercise classes such as pram walking and jogging, yoga, personal trainers, military fitness and outdoor gyms and a number of reports have been produced iterating the importance of parks in terms of supporting positive lifestyles and their contribution to public health.As park cafes are positioned in a shared public place people automatically feel that the café is for their use and they tend to attract a very broad customer base, which should ensure their financial success and accessibility.

Hilly Field Park CaféHilly Fields Park Café opened in Spring 2012 and is part of the Pistachios in the Park Franchise, built and managed by 2 local residents they have created an environmentally sympathetic building, well insulated with a green roof that yields the cafes summer lettuce. The building accommodates the park toilets, which are accessed independently from the café.The café has about 30 indoor seats and imaginative storage solutions have been found to combat the limited storage space available including shelving and the stock becomes the decoration and hollow bench seating.The outdoor seating provides views across the whole park and the tennis courts and play area (just about). The owner did express the need for a fenced area for children to crawl or customers to picnic without worrying about dogs.

The café is open every day Weekdays: 8.30am -6pmWeekends: 9am -6pmand is open during bank holidays. Hilly Fields is an unfenced park so access isn’t reduced during the winter.The menu is broad enough to provide a good selection of coffee, tea, cakes and sandwiches as well as daily specials like quiches, children’s meals and breakfasts. The owners are committed to supporting local suppliers and buying ethically sourced ingredients e.g. Fair Trade, outdoor reared, seasonal and local.The café is used by a wide range of people typically using the park; families and children, school children, dog walkers and those exercising but it is attracting its own customers to the park and the café is being used for evening events and even a wedding.Since opening the café has achieved daily takings from £300 to £1700, and the owner believes they have reached their maximum income because of the speed of coffee making and the size of the kitchen. The busiest days have

been snow days although the customers have mainly wanted soup and hot chocolate and because of two sunny and warm bank holidays during May, takings have been good but park cafes are very weather dependent and this café opened at the beginning of some of London’s worst weather for over 50 years.

Hilly Fields Park Café Notice Board

Manor House Gardens Pistachios In The Park From our questionnaires many people that use Mountsfield Park, including the Friends of the Park site this café as

the type of café they would like to see in the park. This café offers organic baby food, children’s toys, a broad menu, celebrates special events, hosts barbeques and offers far more to buy than a traditional park café, more like a delicatessen.

www.theukfranchisedirectory.net/page/pistachios-in-the-park/pitp.php

pistachiosinthepark.org.uk ‘Pistachios In The Park is a chain of welcoming cafes based inlocal parks throughout London. Our child friendly cafes offera wonderful menu of hot and cold drinks and a variety ofhealthy food favourites.   We thrive on community spirit andencourage local people to come together through activities and events for all ages, please see our individual cafe notice boards for more information. Finally, don’t forget to take a look at our wooden toys, made from reforested wood and EC regulated; they are on sale at each of our cafes.’

Café on the Rye, Peckham Rye Common

www.cafeontherye.co.ukwww.cafeontherye.co.uk/menu

This is an independent café, opened in 2007. The menu is very broad and offers an extensive breakfast menu, sandwiches, wraps, daily specials and children’s options. The owners are committed to sustainable and ethical procurement and list all suppliers on their website.The café is in a very high profile position on an exceptionally busy common close to a children’s adventure playground, formal gardens and outdoor sports facilities.The café is highly visible from some very busy roads including bus routes and easily accessed with a road that ends next to the café.

East Greenwich PleasaunceAnother Pistachio franchise, built and opened in the Pleasance, again this was a park without a café until 2007. The café has been a very welcome additional for regular café users and has attracted new users to the park.

chorley.gov.uk/news/Pages/Café-plan-for-popular-park.aspxwww.timeout.com/london/restaurants/londons-best-park-cafasww.hospitalityandcateringnews.com/2013/01/uk-coffee-market-grows-and-to-grow-strongly/pistachiosinthepark.org.uk/categoryoxleawoodcafe.info

Hill Station Café www.boldvision.org.uk/hillstation/Bold Vision are a group of Telegraph Hill residents who joined together to create a community centre which houses a community café. This is situated at the entrance to the Telegaph Lower Park and adjacent to the upper park. The money for the café has been raised by local (members) donating, grants and free labour. It now also hosts a mini shop, Pop Up cafes by guest chefs, cookery and preserve making classes and food growing projects. The café takes an average of £500 a day, serves a full menu including breakfast, sandwiches, food cooked to order, BBQ’s and is fully licensed. The busiest days the café has so far experienced has been snowy weekends.

Mountsfield ParkThe park is situated within substantial housing and the town centres of Hither Green, Catford and Lewisham and is a well- known park. It hosts Lewisham Peoples’ Day which attracts local audiences of up to 30,000 each year.Recent footfall figures or surveys weren’t available but those gathered in 2005 recorded over a number of days in March and April suggest over 2000 people used the park per day with peak use between 10.30 and 4.30. (It isn’t clear if these figures were measured in one place or throughout the park).

GCDA carried out 3 separate visits to the park to monitor footfall numbers in the vicinity of a potential park café and to carry out questionnaires; the collated responses are attached in Appendix 1. Thirty people completed comprehensive questionnaires (see questionnaire appendix 2) and another 36 people emailed comments supporting the idea of the park café with some comments about what type of facilities and service café should offer.

The surveys were completed over 2 days; June 6th and June 7th with nice weather (the times of the survey are included in the results appendix 1). On Friday 6th between 9.30am and 10.40am there were an average of 25 adults at any one time in the children’s area and on Saturday 7th between 12noon and 1.30pm there was an average of 67 adults at any one time – this number was consistent over 2hrs and most visitors stayed for an average of one hour.

The highest proportion (37%) of questionnaire respondents were people with children, but the respondents were nearly evenly split between those walking dogs, just walking and those out with children.

From the additional 35 respondents who replied by email 14 said they had young children and wanted a facility that was convenient for them.

Over half the people questioned visited the park every day, and the majority of these were dog walkers and walkers, and the majority of parents said twice a week.

Half of the people who responded use the existing café once or twice a week. When asked what they thought of the current service over half didn’t respond but 40% said it was satisfactory.

77% said they would definitely use a new café. The respondents were asked a question about the café offer and the majority (70%) want a mixed offer, but

some mentioned delicatessen (Manor House Gardens) and 13% asked for healthy. 87% of the respondents expected their average spend to be £5, and 10% said over £6. 17% of those asked said they would use the café twice a week and 67% said the café would encourage

them to use the park more. A number of people said they visited Manor Garden Park because of the café, (‘although the play area isn’t

as good’). A number of people mentioned walking through the park as a route not just for recreation.

Competition and the surrounding AreaFood Outlets Around the Park: Area of study

North: Mt Pleasant Road – Lanier Road East: Torridon Road – Hither Green Lane West: Lewisham High Street – Rushey Green South: Brownhill Road

Mountsfield Park Café Feasibiity Study: Selected Food Outlets Around the Park as of June 2013

Number Road Name DescriptionCompe

titor CommentsUnit 9 Eros House Brownhill Road Appetito Café Yes Day Café and Evening Party Venue

2 Brownhill Road Domino's Pizza Pizza Take Away No Well known Pizza Chain3 Brownhill Road Taste of Jamaica Take Away No Popular take away

13 Brownhill Road Taste of China Chinese Take Away No Standard Chinese Take Away79 Brownhill Road Co-op Food Supermarket No Part of Texaco Petrol - Co-op Food Site88 Brownhill Road Pizza Crazy Take Away No Standard Take Away

90 Brownhill RoadDenis Grocer & Off licence

Groceries & Off licence No Unattractive shop

98 Brownhill Road Infusion CaféEnglish & Caribbean Food Yes

Specialises on Caribbean Food 7am to 5 pm + Event Catering

172 Brownhill RoadFood & Off Licence Food & Off Licence No Unattractive shop

174 Brownhill Road Happy Dragon Chinese Take Away No Standard Chinese Take Away

267 Brownhill Road Chicago's PizzaPizza, Kebab & Chicken No Standard Take Away

269 Brownhill Road China Express Chinese Take Away No Standard Chinese Take Away

273 Brownhill RoadBrownhill Food & Wine

Groceries & Off licence No Unattractive shop

275 Brownhill Road Monsoon Indian Restaurant No Unattractive Indian restaurant14 Catford Broadway Costa Coffee Café Yes Accessible and popular chain

3 George Lane Rosa Madras Take Away No Sri Lankan & South Indian Take Away

9 George LanePeace & Prosperity Take Away No Caribbean Take Away

134 Hither Green Lane Sweet VibesWest Indian Take Away No West Indian Take Away

184 Hither Green LaneFood & Off Licence Food & Off Licence No Unattractive shop

192 Hither Green Lane Wok Inn Chinese Take Away No Chinese Take Away194 Hither Green Lane Fish & Chips Take Away No Take Away

218 Hither Green LaneCafé of Good Hope Café Yes

Very good local café with excellent ambiance

226 Hither Green Lane Chicken Hut Take Away No Take Away

230 Hither Green LaneMalai Tai Take Away Take Away No Take Away

250 Hither Green Lane Deshi Space Indian Take Away No Indian Take Away258 Hither Green Lane Supermarket Supermarket No Supermarket266 Hither Green Lane Cool Breeze Take Away No West Indian Take Away268 Hither Green Lane H's Café Café Yes Popular Café262 Lewisham High St Tesco Express Supermarket No Supermarket312 Lewisham High St Best Fried Chicken Take Away No Standard Take Away

357 Lewisham High StShell Petro & Supermarket Supermarket No Used to be Sainsbury's Local

385 Lewisham High St Halal Express Take Away No Popular Halal Take Away

387 Lewisham High St Star Café Basic Café YesBasic Café with accessible prices and average quality

389 Lewisham High StCaribbean Take Away Take Away No Standard Take Away

391 Lewisham High St Kebab Licious Take Away No Standard Take Away393 Lewisham High St Himalaya Restaurant No Popular Indian Restaurant

399 Lewisham High StEelam Supermarket Supermarket No Asian & African Supermarket

Meridian South Development Tesco Express Supermarket No Supermarket

Catford Island Placcy Road Mc Donalds

Fast Food Restaurant No Restaurant & Take Away. Highly popular

2 Ringstead RoadKabanosik (Polski Sklep) Groceries No Polish Groceries & Food

18 Rushey Green Nes's cafe Basic Café YesSmall local café accessible prices and average quality

68 Rushey GreenPlanet 68 African Cuisine Restaurant No

African Restaurant & Take Away in premises of old pub

74 Rushey Green Nando's Restaurant No Popular Restaurant Chain77 Rushey Green A 2 Delicious Restaurant No West African Restaurant81 Rushey Green Chick Chicken Take Away No Standard Take Away

85 Rushey Green Eastern Queen Restaurant No Chinese Restaurant

87 Rushey Green Café Café YesLarge café with accessible prices and average quality

90 Rushey Green Tai Won Mei Noodle Bar NoPopular Noodle Bar Restaurant & Take Away

91 Rushey GreenCatford Food Centre Convenience Store No Convinience Store

107 Rushey Green Cote d'Ivoire Convenience Store No Convinience Store109 Rushey Green The London & Rye Pub & Food No Popular & Busy Chain Pub113 Rushey Green Kebab House Take Away No Traditional Kebab Take Away. Very popular

119 Rushey Green La Ciabatta Café YesAccessible café with basic menu. Opens 8am to 5pm

119 Rushey Green La Ciabatta Café Yes Popular Café

129 Rushey Green Elpoco Mexico Restaurant YesMexican Restaurant. Opens 11am 11pm. Pricey

136 Rushey Green GreggsSandwich Take Away No Accessible sandwiches & drins take away

136 Rushey Green GreggsSandwich Take Away Yes

Affordable take away chain with basic quality

150 Rushey Green SubwaySmall eating in & take away Yes Popular Chain with basic food and quality

161 Rushey Green Pizza and Chicken Take Away No Standard Take Away

167 Rushey GreenGoose on the Green Pub & Food No Popular & crowded affordable pub

181 Rushey Green Fish & Chips Take Away No Standard Take Away Rushey Green Aldi Supermarket Supermarket No Supermarket

38 Sangley Road Spice 2000 Caribbean Food NoSea food and jerk chicken restaurant & take away

40 Sangley RoadKebab & Fried Chicken Take Away No Standard Take Away

Mountsfield Café

Legal structureThe cafes already described in this document cover a number of models;

Franchise Private individuals

Local existing catering organisation (private or non-profit) with off site production facility or other cafes Non – local existing as above New community organisation (Hill station model)

Management/ Legal Structure

Potential Advantage Potential Disadvantage

Franchise e.g. Pistachios Support NetworkReputationCentral websiteEstablished systems which might include suppliers, stock etc

Good for those new to food businesses

Cost of the franchise % of turnoverCommunication independence e.g. Poor website in the case of the Pistachios website. Lack of individual identityQuality across cafes variesCapacity – doesn’t offer the franchisee external capacity re. staff, production

Private individual IndependentExpertisePassion, commitmentReputation

Lack of Support networksCapacity issues with production, staffing for exampleLimited relationship with local area

New Community Organisatione.g. Part of the local residents or Friends of the Park

Existing relationship and knowledge of the parkLocal engagementMixed areas of expertiseCommitmentOpportunity to engage local volunteers, local investment

They may assume knowledge and representation of the local areaLack of knowledge of the industryLimited support or capacity

Existing local catering business. e.g. Café of Good Hope

Established local businessEstablished systemsCommitment/ knowledge of local communitySuccess and knowledge of the food industryAdditional capacity to support park café; production (reduce park café kitchen requirements), staffing

Diverted or restricted by existing businessPark café not their main activity and therefore not main focusExisting reputation dictates offer

Existing non - local catering business. e.g. GCDA

Established businessEstablished systemsSuccess and knowledge of the food industryAdditional capacity to support park café; production (reduce park café kitchen requirements), staffing

Diverted or restricted by existing businessPark café not their main activity and therefore not main focus

The provider for the café is partly dictated by the facility available combined with the financial viability. For example from the cafes visited and the feedback from the questionnaires a broad menu can generate larger spend and at the busiest times in the park can maximise spend. If the café facilities are limited in terms of cooking equipment and space the successful operator will need off site production to ensure good gross profit balanced with affordable prices.

Description of suggested service

To be a financially successful park café there seem to be common denominators;

Child friendly – staff who enjoy being with children, menu with either children’s options or at least portions, some comfortable seating inside and out (could be on the floor), within view or attached to a children’s play area, if

possible with some fenced or enclosed areas which can allow people to sit on the ground, toys, books, drawing equipment within the café.

Broad Menu – the café will serve a very broad range of customers with different spending power, arriving at different times, different service needs. So it is likely to include a breakfast offer, snacks, sandwiches soups, salads, main dishes, ice-creams and cakes as well as a range of hot and cold drinks. BBQ’s, are popular and allow outside cooking which increases the capacity (something to consider for a cold day too and a deli offer if the café has the space (Manor Gardens café) which can expand the spend and potentially bring additional customers.

Suppliers - The recent trends with local park cafes is a commitment to local suppliers, Fair-trade and where possible own grown herbs and salads. These are very popular with customer groups and very positive for marketing. Purchase from local producers can often be financially beneficial.

Production capacity considered Often cafes visited are buying in certain products because of the lack of production capacity – the impact of this is to reduce gross profit or push up price or both.

Maximise the opportunities of weather/ events On the busiest days, often winter, the sales were restricted to hot chocolate and soup and both Hilly Fields and Hill Station were limited in terms of their menu offer and capacity to serve as quickly as needed. This will also apply to Mountsfield during events like Lewisham Peoples day. Park Cafes are very susceptible to the impact weather has on park usage, although a number of people interviewed said that a café in the park would encourage increased use of the park in winter.

Other Events – increasingly park cafes are hosting additional activity, if the licences or park access can support this; music or performance events, talks, exercise classes, food growing projects, art classes, walks, private speakers, private parties, pop-up supper clubs, pop-up cinemas and cooking workshops. This helps the café to establish itself as a destination beyond providing an ancillary service to the park.

Café Position and Design – general points

Position – ideally the café needs to be visible from as much of the park as possible, allowing new visitors to find it immediately, to increase security for the café operator and in the case of Mountsfield provide fantastic views for the café users. There is a triangle of grass close to the band stand and play area, close to trees which could provide the ideal location.

Proximity to Road – good access is required for deliveries, and potential public access including evenings Proximity/ relationship with the children’s area. Ideally the café will be close enough to the play area to allow parents, carers to sit in the café and have a full view of the play area.

Shade – for outside seating it is desirable that the café had a shaded area, this could be provided by existing trees but if it is provided by a canopy it expand the seating area that can be all weather and provides cover for winter BBQ or outdoor events.

Café frontage – full opening frontage. Similar to the Hilly Fields Café ideally have a full glass frontage that can open completely during the summer to ease access and aid additional activity e.g. performance from the café, buffet from the café.

Coats, boots and outside clothing – because of the nature of parks people are likely to be wearing wellies etc – how to accommodate this – consider the flooring and where coats can go. (Buggies are also something to consider).

Seating – mix, comfortable sofas for a relaxing stay and those with young children, bench seating that can act as storage, blankets to sit on grass.

Signage external - visible from a good distance (shutters to show when open with signage on outside when closed

Signage internal – blackboard take up less space, decorate a café

Toilets Advantages Disadvantages

InternalCafé on the Rye

Increased security from visibilityEasier for customers with friends or

Potential to clog café with toilet queue

Hill Station (was external but move inside for the reasons suggested, now two entrances).

pramsMore convenient to keep clean for staff (don’t have to leave building) – particularly if only one member of staffEncourage use of café by park visitors

Uses essential café spacePark users uncomfortable about entering cafe

ExternalEast Greenwich PleasuanceHilly Fields

Access for park users without entering café, avoid space loss from queuing and accommodating toiletIf park users and very muddy or wet this mess isn’t taken into caféAccess outside the café operating hours if necessary but would require non-café staff to manage

SecurityCleaningStaff time to superviseInconvenient if using café and have to pack up all your stuff

The ideal solution is dual access (The Hidden Kitchen, Central Park, Newham), see suggested design idea

Menu The menu suggestions are based on;

the questionnaires and feedback, the menus of cafes sited as having a desirable offer, the likely limitations of park café production, the broad range of customers, and their times of use the average spend suggested

Breakfast rolls baked and sausage (vege too)Pastries, juicesPorridge and granola pots, Toast and spreads. Weekend & holidays full breakfast/ brunchSnacks; cakes, meze platesSandwiches, toasted ciabatta, soup, quiche or frittata (cold holding) & simple salads (sandwiches, meze plates and just by themselves), stews, chilli, curries, (hot holding may not be possible) cold meat or cheese plates.Winter and summer bbqs Ice-creams, snacks

Kitchen Design, Service Area and SeatingConsider minimum staff numbers, quickest serving timesFlexibility for other eventsStorageCounter service not table service (too many staff required and slows service)Taking production outside, buffet for events, BBQFlexible winter offer (more than soup and hot chocolate but consider post of hot chocolate instead of single production)

Draft Kitchen Café Design

The draft café design is attached as a separate pdf.

The design rationale is based on a number of factors;

A kitchen, which provides enough production capacity for the broad menu required by the potential customers

A kitchen designed to give the cook/ chef full visibility of the café, and seating area so that the café could be manned by a single person (break times, early morning or later afternoon).

A long counter / service area, which can provide flexibility of service from quiet to very busy e.g. self service of soup, hot chocolate, chilli etc during exceptionally busy times or of cold items.

A coffee machine at 90 to the counter in order to maintain counter space and the view of the customer. Cooker on the back wall for extraction convenience and provide capacity for baking, soup making, bread,

cakes, quiches Provide the appropriate circulation route for food e.g. cold storage – cook – service and wash up Clearly separated kitchen prep and kitchen related storage, wash-up and then service areas and service

storage (seating). Display fridge for customer access to speed service (consider security). Ideally some refrigeration could be housed externally (partly to do with space but also because of the heat

they create and risk of overheating). Counter provides security for staff

Kitchen Budget

Display fridge £300-£700 OperatorSlab Hob Electric cooker with oven £ 2600 CafeUnder counter fridges (3/4 domestic sized) £200 - £400 OperatorTall Upright fridge £800- £1200 Operator1 x Large up- right freezer £1300 OperatorGroup 2 coffee machine (from coffee supplier lease) From £2000 - £4000 OperatorPanini machine/ toaster £250 - £400 OperatorDishwasher – under-counter (commercial speed) £1000 - £2000 Operator Dish sink £550 CafeHand wash sink (maybe 2) £160 CafeFood prep sink (double) £600 CafeIce-cream freezer (sponsored) £200 OperatorCold well display unit £800 Counter top Operator (Hot display/ bain marie) £800 - £1000 OperatorCounters and tabling CafeExtraction less required without gas Cafe

Financial Assumptions

Sales The total monthly sales are based on the table of daily activities described above. They are based on the footfall figures, surveys and numbers of people using the area at the times the surveys were completed. The sales table is based on the minimum sales of the Hilly Fields Café. Peoples Day provides the café with a substantial opportunity, hundreds of people use this area of the park during the festival, bands are programmed for the

bandstand, the children’s area is animated with many additional activities and it has good shade. This year a number of the event caterers exceeded £10,000 in sales. The cafe is well paced to maximise of this opportunity. It is also an excellent marketing opportunity.

Many park or outdoor cafes will rely on the Summer trade to subsidise the winter trade but if the café operator is resourceful and builds on popular events; firework nights and view of London, snowy days, Christmas they may be able to create winter peaks.

The sales are conservative but the evidence of the surveys, growth in coffee shops and sales of other park cafes suggests that the café itself may attract visitors to the park and extended park stays. This has been the case with Hilly Fields Café

The prices suggested above are based on the survey results and are lower than the prices at Hilly Fields, The Hidden Kitchen and Café on the Rye. The café operator should test the price elasticity early on in the operation of the café and ideally should offer a broad price range to maximise access and opportunity for higher average spend.

Staff The staff costs are based on a manager at £11.50 an hour and the second member of staff at £8.50 an hour. The managers costs are over 7 days but it is likely that

2 days a week a supervisor on a lower salary could be used or the ratio could be adjusted. (e.g. 4:3). The staff levels are based on the sales levels and the type of menu and serving suggested in the kitchen plan and menu section.

Opening Times November – end of February 8am – 4pm March – end of October 8am – 5pm Later opening times for special events and weekends mid Summer

Additional Activity supported by the Cafe

In all cases the café can play a role; Promote the activity of others Facilitate the activity of others Deliver the activity itself

Developing partnership approaches to any delivery is likely to be the most successful and understanding the breadth of delivery of other parks.

Food GrowingA number of the cafes mentioned in this report have relationships with food growing projects;Hilly Fields grows its own salad on the green roofHill Station grows herbs and has a partnership with Grow Wild – a community food growing project

The operator of Mountsfield Café can do both; grow herbs and salads close to the café, possibly the roof. Ideally the operator will have some knowledge

and or interest in doing this and maybe this could be included in the tender documents. The operator can also purchase locally grown food for the café and advertise their interest in locally grown

food.

Physical ActivityMountsfield Park is already used by many people for the purpose of exercise and physical activity, the café can be used to;

Promote and advertise any activity, through providing poster space, staff know about all activities available, joint promotion on website and promotional materials,

Facilitating groups; space to keep equipment, free water Organise groups; employ or invite walk leaders, trainers etc to host the activity form the café or beginning

at the café Provide café space after opening hours in the late spring and summer

Cultural activity Host art exhibitions Book performers or host performance in and outside the café Talks and speakers either during or after opening hours in the summer Respond to special calendar events/ cultural events Film Presentations (sports events, films, film clubs) Lewisham Peoples Day

Other Children’s play equipment; balls etc Blankets for picnics Tree walks, nature walks Cycle stands, pump and tools

Report Conclusions

There is huge support for a new café in Mountsfield Park, this has been expressed by the Friends of Mountsfield Park, local residents and park users.

Coffee bars and cafes in parks are thriving if the style and service match the expectations of the park users, and if this is the case the café is able to attract its own audience to the park. Park cafés are often places offering healthy, locally sourced exciting food with high quality service in high quality settings and are matching the quality of London’s best cafes.

The financial information provided is conservative and based on the current park use and their surveys, however the competition survey demonstrates the fact that there are very few high quality family friendly cafes in the area, of the 61 cafes listed only 10 might provide some direct competition.

The key to success will be a café operator who understand the cafes potential and how to maximise it so they are able to develop and work in close partnership with a number of other groups. Ideally they are an existing operator who may have another local operation, which can provide production and staffing support, and they know the local area and park.

There is interest and precedent in other parks that the café delivers and or supports additional activity, which animates the park from food growing to walking groups, performance to film shows and private talks.

The tender process for the operation of the café can highlight the importance and value of these aspects in the bidding process.

Café parks experience vast seasonal variation so ideally I would be good if the café were able to open in March/ April so that it is up and smoothly running by the summer when the highest level of sales will be achieved to aid the cash-flow through the first winter.

The Hidden kitchen, Central Park, Newham

Nibbles Olives marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a blend of hidden kitchen herbs & spices - £3 Crispy Chilli and Sage Chickpeas - £3.50 Garlic Bread - £3 The Hidden Kitchen Nachos with sour cream, green pea dip, fiery salsa and cheddar cheese - £4

Starters Tuna stuffed Spicy Peppadew Peppers - £5 Homemade Soup of the Day - £3.50 Butternut Squash, Spinach and Gournay Cheese Parcel - £4

Mains Bangers & Creamy Mash with Spring Onions and Leeks - £8.75 Portobello mushroom burger with goats cheese, pesto with coleslaw and fries - £7.95 Grilled Chicken Breast with an Aubergine & Courgette Ratatouille and Creamy Mash - £9.00 Pan fried fish and lemon pepper mushrooms served with new potatoes and salad - £9.50 The Hidden Kitchen Garden Salad with green beans and new potatoes - £7.00 - With Smoked Salmon Fillet - £9.00

Desserts Vanilla Cheesecake with Berry Compote - £5.00 Strawberry Sorbet - £3.50 Chocolate Cake - £4.50

Café on the Rye

BREAKFAST 9-11AM Rye Fry - Homemade Bubble & Squeak, Dry Cured Bacon, Cumberland Sausage, Fried Vine Tomato, Fried

Mushrooms, Free Range Fried Egg, Heinz Baked Beans, Toast with Butter & Apple/Orange Juice Veggie Rye Fry – available with Lincolnshire Vegetarian Sausages (v) Free Range Scrambled Egg on Toast (v) Heinz Baked Beans on Toast (v) Fried Mushrooms on Toast (v)

ALL DAY BREAKFAST – SANDWICHES Dry Cured Bacon Cumberland Vegetarian Lincolnshire Sausage (v) Free Range Fried Egg (v)

CONTINENTAL – ALL DAY Croissant au Beurre Croissant aux Amandes Pain au Raisin / Pain au Chocolat Toasted Bagels / Crumpets with Butter Organic Toast with Butter Homemade Rye Muesli Yoghurt with Honey & Homemade Rye Muesli Brand Cereals – Kids

ENGLISH CLASSICS – SANDWICHES

English Ham & Vintage Cheddar English Ham & Tomato English Ham Vintage Cheddar & Branston Pickle (v) Vintage Cheddar & Tomato (v) Vintage Cheddar (v) Tuna Mayonnaise & Cucumber Tuna Mayonnaise Free Range Egg Mayonnaise & Tomato (v)

Free Range Egg Mayonnaise (v)All Served with Green Salad

TOASTED ORGANIC CIABATTA Mozzarella, Tomato & Pesto (v) Ham & Brie with Aubergine & Pepper Relish Mozzarella & Roasted Vegetables with Aubergine & Pepper Relish (v) Camembert with Mushroom, Lemon & Thyme (v)

All Served with Green Salad & the Salad of the Day

REGULARS Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato (BLT) with Mayo & Green Salad Houmous & Pesto Lebanese Flat Bread Wrap with Green Salad (v) Houmous, Olives, Crudités & Warm Pitta Bread (v) Salad of the Day: Bulgar Wheat / Couscous with Organic mixed Beans & roasted Mediterranean vegetables salad

served with Green Salad & Bread (v) Smoked Mackerel Pâté * Homemade Vegetarian Pâté (v) *

* Served with Green Salad, Salad of the Day & Warm Pitta Bread.

DAILY SPECIALS Homemade Soup of the Day & Bread and Butter (v) Homemade Chickpea Madras with Minty Yogurt & Bread (v) Homemade Organic Beef Chilli with Sour Cream & Bread 6oz 100% Angus Beef Burger with Caramelised Onion & Wholegrain Mustard relish served with Vintage Cheddar

on an Organic Sesame Bun * Homemade Goats Cheese & Red Pepper Quiche (v) * Homemade Spanish Potato & Pepper Tortilla (v) * Stilton or Vintage Cheddar Ploughman with Bread & Butter Greek Salad with warm Pitta Bread (v) The Rye Meat or Cheese Board with Bread & Butter

* Served with Green Salad & the Salad of the Day

MENU – JUST 4 KIDS“Simple” Sandwiches

Marmite Cream cheese Mild Cheddar cheese Ham Tuna Mayonnaise

Daily Kids Specials Roasted Vine Tomato, Mushroom & Pesto Penne (v) Beef Bolognese Cumberland Sausage & Heinz Beans on Toast Scrambled Egg & Heinz Beans on Toast (v)

HOT DRINKS Mocha Cappuccino Latte Americano Macchiata Espresso Cadbury’s Hot Chocolate English Garden Tea

A Selection of Herbal / Speciality Teas Chococcino (kids hot chocolate) Babychino (kids warm milk)

Coffee – Organic and FairTrade, English Garden Tea – Fair Trade COLD DRINKS

Belvoir Pressé: Fruit Farm Presse: Lime & Lemongrass, Elderflower Whole Earth Organic: Mountain Cranberry, Lemonade, Apple & Raspberry Fentimann Botanicals: Ginger Beer, Mandarin & Seville Orange Jigger, Dandelion & Burdock, Shandy James White: Farm Pressed Organic: Pear, Apple, Carrot & Apple Innocent Smoothies: Various Buxton: Spring Water – Still / Sparkling Coca Cola: Regular & Diet Old Jamaica: Ginger Beer Apple / Orange Cartons Rocks: Organic Squash

HANDMADE CAKES Carrot Cake Gooey Chocolate Cake Almond Polenta Cake * Lemon and Poppyseed Cake # Ultra Chocolate Brownie # Banana Flapjack # * Chocolate Crispy Cakes #

* Wheat Free, # Nut Free

COLD TREATSNatural Ice Creams

Double Chocolate Very Vanilla Strawberry Tease Butterscotch Crunch Hokey Pokey Blackcurrant Fool Mango Crush Raspberry Crush Natural Ice Lollies

Yummy Lollies – VariousChilly Billy – Push ups – Various