‘Amazing turn out’ at the opening of a brand new community cafe at the heart of Northampton
There was an “amazing turn out” at the opening of a brand new community cafe at the heart of Northampton.
Glory Church in St Giles’ Terrace launched Cellar Community Cafe during the first weekend in November, with the Mayor in attendance to do the honour of opening the space.
The hope is that the cafe will be a valuable community resource for those living and working in the town centre, as well as offering a caring and creative space.
Fresh coffees, juices, pastries and other food options are now on offer, and the Cellar Community Cafe will also be a place for programmes and events – including knit and natter, a jobs club, craft workshops and business networking, just to name a few.
Daniel Williamson has been part of the like-minded, loving and encouraging community at Glory Church for the past four years.
He has been assisting founder Timothy with his vision to bring a community cafe to Northampton town centre, and Daniel has now taken the lead and manages the venue.
This all began when the church opened its doors for a couple of days each week and invited people in for a hot drink and a chat. The idea was to open beyond a Sunday and that sparked the concept to develop this casual offering into something more established.
Around a year ago, the opportunity came up to lease the basement space of the residential building opposite Glory Church. This used to be a cafe until it closed in 2020 and has remained dormant ever since.
“We took a leap of faith,” Daniel told the Chronicle & Echo. “We got the keys at the end of January and a lot of work needed to be done. We relied on donations, people chipping in and helping, and here we are.”
Daniel was asked the aim for Cellar Community Cafe moving forward, and what gap in the market they are trying to fill.
He said: “We want it to be a place where people can come along, meet, have good coffee, cakes and pastries. We’ll be rolling out a hot food menu in the future.
“People from all walks of life are welcome and our team is ready to engage with them and be a listening ear. We want to have a positive impact on people’s lives, and be a source of encouragement and light.
“We have a team of enthusiastic people who want to help and add value to the area. It’s a welcoming space for connections, and we hope people will feel better when they leave from when they walked in.”
Daniel described the “amazing turn out” at their “fantastic” opening. The venue was packed and many praised the relaxed, calm and homely feel to the cafe following its “amazing transformation”.
You can pay Cellar Community Cafe a visit in St Giles’ Terrace from 10am until 2pm from Monday to Saturday each week.