Kitchen and Café Opportunity

The Wolves Lane Centre is on a mission to change the food system, starting with serving high-quality, nutritious meals to our community. So we’re seeking a like-minded food business, start-up or social enterprise to hire our kitchen space. 

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Our ideal applicant will work with us to provide meals for staff, volunteers and visitors. Meals will be made using seasonal, chemical-free produce, grown by hand and with care on our sites. 

We see this partnership as an opportunity to grow the café’s offering and create a thriving, inclusive space where everyone – regardless of economic status or background – feels welcome.

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Our current offer

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• Space: A commercial kitchen and seating area (not heated) located at Wolves Lane, with access to fresh, on-site produce. There’s also an opportunity to integrate with community activities.

• Payment model: We currently use a pay-as-you-can system, allowing all community members to enjoy nutritious, freshly-made meals.

• Community focus: We want to increase visitor numbers (especially on weekends) and create a stronger sense of community through the café. 
   

We currently receive a weekly food delivery and support from the Felix Project to provide meals with minimal waste. 

 

​​Read more about the Felix Project on their website

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What we’re looking for

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We invite proposals from businesses or social enterprises aligned with our inclusivity, sustainability, and community care values. The ideal applicant will:

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• be conscious of minimising waste

• provide culturally appropriate meals using on-site produce and supplementary organic or sustainably-grown supplies

• operate the kitchen and café while managing:

  • stocktaking and ordering

  • health and safety compliance

  • kitchen and café organisation

  • seasonal menu creation

  • marketing of the café and food offerings

  • help bridge the gap between the Growers and the kitchen, making sure on-site produce is used effectively

  • explore opportunities to involve and upskill local young people through work experience programmes.

  • volunteer involvement in preparing, cooking and serving food

 

Our support

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We aim to create an ecosystem where the café buys produce and products from our farm stall to use in meals. We also aim to be open to the public from Friday to Sunday. And we want to attract up to 40 volunteers each day from Monday to Thursday. 

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There’ll be an option to open up the café as a separate entity or use it as a dark kitchen when the kitchen is closed.

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We’ll promote and support community cookery classes. We’ll also buy a set number of volunteer meals each month at cost price as part of our Seed to Plate Volunteer Program. In terms of output, we currently cater for:
 

• Tuesday: 20 meals 

• Wednesday: 10 meals

• Thursday: 50 meals 

• Friday: 10 meals and up to 50 visitors 

• Saturday: We aren’t currently open on this day, but we’d like to support the café by opening to the public and running workshops and events throughout the day

• Sunday: open, with around 5 volunteers and 40 visitors.

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Financial terms

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We propose a revenue-sharing model based on a percentage of the café's profits, with a minimum monthly payment of £210 to Wolves Lane. 

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This arrangement makes the partnership sustainable while allowing the café to grow flexibly.

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Additional opportunities

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There’s potential to develop a model similar to 'The Long Table’ or ‘The Hornbeam Centre’ where connection, conversation, and accessible good food for all are key.

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This would ideally mean creating a proper ‘café experience’ with an expanded menu of hot and cold drinks, pastries, cakes, and more.

Proposal submission

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Please submit your proposal outlining:
 

• your relevant experience and skills 

• your business model and how it aligns with our goals

• plans for using on-site produce and integrating it into the community

• approach to managing kitchen and café operations

• proposed percentage of profit-sharing beyond the minimum payment of £210 a month

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We also encourage applicants to ‘dream big’ and suggest different ways of working together.

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Please email your proposal to jobs@wolveslane.org

The deadline is Monday 27 January 2025. You can submit a proposal in writing or a short video. 

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We look forward to hearing from you!