The initial offering of snacks and coffee at The Keep is set to be expanded
A new life for a local hub T
he café at popular tourist attraction Pontefract Castle looked set for permanent closure. Instead, after surging local demand, it reopened
in August 2025. Te project was undertaken by Aidan Ross FCSI of Cantium Catering Consultants and David Parrett, director at Cadaema, after carrying out a review of Wakefield Council’s five retail catering sites. “Given its wonderful location, the café
was underpatronized and delivering sub- optimal financial returns,” says Parrett. “It was a shame as it has the potential to
play a key role in maintaining a strong sense of community for the residents and visitors to Pontefract. It’s a site of national historical importance and deserves the facilities to present itself in the best light possible.” Last December, the café staff took
voluntary redundancy and the venue closed. However, the council faced significant pressure to keep a café open both for residents and for tourists, and they decided to re-imagine the venue.
HELL FOR LEATHER
Cantium and Cadaema were called back to draw up a proposal to enhance the castle’s visitor experience, provide a boost to the
community, and not be a commercial drain. ”We liaised with the council and made
all stakeholders aware that the café was likely to return a small financial loss,” says Parrett. “But the council was keen to look beyond the commercial return and focus on the improvement to community facilities.” Aiming for the lucrative summer market,
they were left with just over three weeks. “We kind of went hell for leather to mobilize the restaurant by the first of August,” says Parrett. Te partners established a complete
offer, including menu and a supply chain of local providers. Tey tested and inspected machines, carried out a stock-take, and undertook risk assessments. Ross says the biggest risk was resourcing.
“We had to find and train a team to operate the coffee machine safely and work in a retail and customer service environment,” he says. Training was arranged for new staff –
just a day before going live – to focus on all the preparation and processes, including allergen management and food safety. “A couple of weeks later, I was invited
back to do another four casuals,” says Ross. “We’ve now got a brigade of 10 casuals who are fully trained and are in their happy place.” Te council ran a social media campaign to vote for the café’s new name, Te Keep,
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
After opening on target, there was a 250% increase in takings compared with August two years ago. Tere are also plans to extend the offer
to hot snacks and sandwiches. “Because we’d started knowing we would be working with staff new to this environment, and given the time constraints, we put a very simple offer together,” says Ross. “Te café is equipped with panini grills and other equipment and, as soon as we’re in a situation where the team is confident, we’ll evolve the offer again.” Te pair agree the project wouldn’t have been possible in the timeframe without the collaboration of all involved. “We turned in a small profit, which
is miraculous given where they were commercially a year ago, but that’s actually slightly less important than the community support,” concludes Parrett.
and Wakefield councillors joined a supplier engagement day at the local roastery to promote the re-opening. Relaunching as dog-friendly was also
popular. “It’s a major place for people to go for walks from the local community, and many people weren’t willing to leave their dogs tethered outside,” says Parrett.
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