Springhill Hospice’s Coffee @ the Craven to reopen

Springhill Hospice’s Coffee @ the Craven tea room on Broad Lane, Rochdale, is to reopen on 1 August.

The tearoom and coffee shop originally opened in December 2014 to help raise funds for the hospice, but closed in March 2020 as it was no longer generating income for the hospice, which requires £3.2million a year – or £8,928 every day – to remain open.

After struggling to meet the demand of maintenance and running costs, due to the impact of the pandemic, it was decided with a heavy heart that the popular eatery must close.
 

Read more: Springhill Hospice to close Coffee at the CravenPublished: 07 February 2020

However, now following many months of careful planning and hard work, Springhill Hospice will be reopening Coffee @ the Craven this August.

The response they received was incredible, with supporters and staff expressing their happiness that the coffee shop they shared so many happy memories in was reopening.

Jennifer Blackwood, a regular customer, said, “It is such wonderful news that the café will be reopening. It used to be my local and my mother and I would visit quite often. It has been dearly missed and it somehow feels like we are retuning back to normality after everything that has happened these past few years.”

As the Coffee @ the Craven had remained closed since 2022, it required a much-needed revamp.

 

 

In July 2021, Hopwood Hall College staff rolled up their sleeves and spent several days fixing up the interior. This included giving the walls a fresh coat of paint, removing the fixed seating, putting up new shelves and adding necessary storage solutions.

Over the past few weeks, Redwood School have been a huge help in lending their painting and decorating skills. This has included painting fences, sanding down and painting furniture, jet washing and gardening, all in preparation of the much-anticipated grand reopening. The students from Redwood School will also be supporting the day-to-day running of the Craven, gaining real life experience whilst helping Springhill Hospice.

Many volunteers who had previously worked at Coffee @ the Craven will also be returning for the reopening, excited to see familiar faces who they have missed very much since its closure.

Liz Broadhurst, Craven Shop Manager, said: “I’m really excited for the Craven to reopen, I think it has been greatly missed by the community.

“I am looking forward for people to come in, have a nice coffee and a cake and to see old friends. It’s been such a group effort to get to the place we are, everyone has put in so much hard work.

“I’m really grateful for this opportunity and I can’t wait to meet everyone.”

Coffee at the Craven will serve beverages, cakes, salads and sandwiches with “limited” gluten-free options which will be expanded in the coming weeks.

A grand reopening will take place on Monday 15 August.