Coffee and cake at The Boars bar

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A Norfolk pub has opened a new coffee shop and family area in an old laundry room with support from the Community Services Fund.

When the owners of The Boars pub in Spooner Row, Russell and Clare Evans took over the pub last April they immediately set about making it much more community focused by asking their customers what facilities they wanted that would help the community; top of the list came a café followed by an outside area for families.

Russell then contacted rural pub champions, Pub is The Hub for their guidance. With the help of the organisation’s local advisor, Terry Stork and a grant of £3,000 from Pub is The Hub’s unique Community Services Fund, the projects were underway.

The Boars now boasts a coffee shop accessible through a separate entrance at the pub that opens from 8am so that residents, commuters and parents taking children to and from school can call-in to enjoy homemade cakes, teas, coffee and a menu of locally sourced food with a full takeaway service. When the sun shines there is an outside area for the children to play and parents to socialise.

Russell Evans said: “We are hoping that this new service for the community will be another place to socialise and meet together during the day. We are grateful to Pub is The Hub for inspiring us and providing the grant to help us complete the changes.”

Terry Stork, the advisor for Pub is The Hub said: “The coffee shop is proving a great facility for the more elderly residents encouraging them to get out and is now a meeting place helping to combat loneliness and isolation. The outside area is attracting young mums and dads with their offspring making The Boars a true village hub.”   

The photograph above shows Terry Stork, Cllr Robert Savage, the Mayor of Wymondham Town Council, Clare Evans, Mark Bryant & Russell Evans.