The Larder café is relaunching as a brand new eco hub, wholefood deli and community arts venue next month.
Community food hub The Larder originally opened the café in what was Ham and Jam in Lancaster Road in February 2019.
“The Covid period has been a long 18 months for us all,” said Ruby Henderson from The Larder.
“We have busied ourselves by responding to the situation in a number of inventive ways including our Kids in the Kitchen scheme and our hugely successful Hot Pot Cook Along, as well as delivering our accredited catering courses online, piloting food voucher schemes, and all the successes of Art At The Larder with our outward-facing art exhibitions.
Read more: Exhibition in memory of Tony Worrall to take place at The Larder
“We’ve tried to be there for our community and provide what was needed, whether it was food, fun or just something else to focus on. After several attempts to reopen our lovely café as it was, we had to face facts that the footfall was not going to return and we came to the very difficult decision that it wasn’t going work anymore.
“We dried our tears and got back to the drawing board, we listened to our learners, our meal recipients, our wonderful volunteers and anyone who would speak to us and came up with a plan! We are building on our many successes and will continue to be a resource that Preston needs.”
The Preston city centre venue’s relaunch will also celebrate the MBE that The Larder’s director Kay Johnson will receive at a ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday 16 November.
Kay founded The Larder (Lancashire and Region Dietary Education Resource) in March 2015 as a social enterprise to promote food that’s healthy, local, seasonal and low waste. The Larder raised awareness and educated people about a range of food issues from food poverty to food waste, from sustainable catering practices to procurement.
The Larder’s next big art exhibition will feature the vibrant work of local artist Shiryn Wynter.
Read more: Penwortham artist’s uplifting paintings catch the eye of national celebrities
Opening on Saturday 23 October, with a meet the artist event beginning at 1.30pm, the exhibition will feature new work by the artist.
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What do you think about The Larder’s transformation? Let us know in the comments.