Member Article

New Lake District coffee shop creates eight jobs in Windermere

A Cumbrian couple are hoping to brew up business success after opening their own café in the Lake District.

Richard Metcalfe, 29 and his partner Jane Legge, 35 have opened Homeground Coffee and Kitchen, which is based on Main Road in Windermere. The café only began trading at the end of May but has already made its mark in the town.

The café, which provides brunch, light lunches and speciality coffee, has transformed the former Renoirs Coffee Shop and created eight new jobs.

Owners Richard and Jane, who have spent over 20 years between them in the hospitality industry, set up the business after being inspired by the ambition of similar cafes in other parts of the UK and abroad.

Richard said: “We wanted to recreate the relaxed antipodean style cafe culture that is ever growing around the country with all-day brunch and the highest quality coffee. We source many of our ingredients from local traders and make everything in-house down to our jams and sauces.

“There was a real gap in the market for a coffee shop like this in Windermere so it made good business sense to take the plunge and set up on our own. After three months of renovation and hard work, the investment has really paid off, with locals even queuing out of the door at the weekend.”

Kendal-based accountancy and business advisory firm Moore and Smalley advised Richard and Jane on the financial aspects of setting up the new business, including the purchase of the property and tax issues, as well as providing training on a new online book-keeping system.

Colin Johnson, partner and head of Moore and Smalley’s leisure and tourism team, said: “This area of the Lake District still has a focus on supporting local traders so it’s refreshing to see independent coffee enthusiasts like Richard and Jane making their mark.

“Homeground Coffee and Kitchen has already built up a strong following amongst Windermere locals and visitors and I’m sure they’ll continue to grow their fan base into the future.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Moore and Smalley .