Member Article

The Yards, Covent Garden set to welcome not-for-profit café, Fair Shot

Longmartin Properties Ltd, a joint venture between Shaftesbury and the Mercers’ Company, has announced social enterprise, Fair Shot Café, has selected The Yards, Covent Garden for the first not-for-profit café in the West End.

Fair Shot Café will occupy a 2,224 sq ft unit at 3 Slingsby Place, The Yards, relocating from its previous space at South Molton Street, Mayfair. Set to open in February, Fair Shot Café is a not-for-profit social enterprise and will be the first of its kind in Covent Garden. Designed to combat the 94% unemployment rate amongst adults with learning disabilities, Fair Shot works by enrolling 12 young adults with a learning disability into their hospitality training programme each year. During the programme, Fair Shot’s trainees spend four days a week at the cafe and one day a week at their partner college to carry out the educational side of the course. At the cafe the trainees learn the ropes alongside a mentor and a job coach. As a vessel for creating change and acceptance, Fair Shot helps people understand the strength of togetherness, advocating for competitive and integrated employment for those with learning disabilities.

Fair Shot Café The Yards will offer seasonal all-day dining options, with a particular focus on fresh brunch dishes which deliver inclusive eating for all dietary requirements including low FODMAP, Vegan and Gluten Free, enriching the F&B offer and community aspect within The Yards, Covent Garden.

Bianca Tavella, Founder & CEO of Fair Shot, commented: “In the space of a year, we’ve helped 21 adults surmount the unemployment cycle and are continuously working to positively change the mindsets of both customers and potential employers. We believe every single person deserves a fair shot and opening at The Yards, Covent Garden is a huge step forward in helping to achieve this. Fair Shot Café, The Yards will unlock a whole new set of opportunities for our trainees and our business, and we’re excited to open come February.”

On behalf of Longmartin Properties Ltd, Simon Taylor, Property Director at the Mercers’ Company, said: “Over the past year, The Yards has welcomed several distinctive F&B concepts and we feel immensely proud to be welcoming Fair Shot Café to the destination. As a brand which represents and reflects community, equality, and possibility, we are delighted to be the chosen location for their only café, reinforcing our position as an F&B destination within central London that encompasses variety and difference. Fair Shot will diversify and bring something new to our culinary line-up, and we are looking forward to welcoming them in February.”  

Fair Shot Café will join The Yards’ diverse F&B offering, including newly opened Gura Gura, the Pan-Asian concept which spotlights Japanese, Thai and Chinese elements, as well as Burmese restaurant, Lahpet, and independent bakery brand, Buns From Home. 

CBRE is the asset manager on behalf of Longmartin Properties. 

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Nick Thornton .