The Pavilion Coffee opens and is welcomed with support from community

What was once a disused changing rooms block at the Sports Pavilion in Stretton has now been transformed into a thriving home to two businesses – the newest being an independent café.

The Pavilion Coffee opened its doors this month at the Beamish Close sports facility.

And despite a rainy start to the summer, owners Mel Jackson and Ian Moore have seen repeat customers appear at the hatch every day for a coffee and a natter.

Situated outside the home ground of Appleton AFC, the outdoor café features a hatch where customers can queue up to order a range of different hot beverages made by their specially trained baristas.

Hot drinks, sweet treats and delicious pies are on offer (Image: Supplied)
Picnic benches are scattered around the front of the coffee shop, but for those miserable rainy days, there is also a sheltered space with tables and chairs for customers to huddle and enjoy their hot drinks and food.

Speaking on the opening of the business and the positive reception it has had from the community, owner Mel said: “We are very excited to open. We have lived and breathed it for the last few months, it is all new and it has been a huge learning curve.

“We have had a steady flow of customers and regular customers every day.”

Mel, a trained accountant, explained that parents from local primary schools in the area usually congregate outside the school gates for a catch up at the end of the day, but have now claimed the new spot as a place to enjoy a drink and chat while their children play.

Sheltered seating is available as well as benches for when the sun shines (Image: Supplied)
Her and co-owner Ian have spent the last few months renovating the space, which for the last 25 years has been a disused changing rooms area.

She explained that the hatch where customers can go to buy drinks was originally the cricket scoreboard.

As well as a range of hot drinks on offer, there is also savoury and sweet snacks to purchase too, all locally sourced.

This includes Daresbury farm ice creams, Chloe's £1 sweet cones, and fresh pies.

The coffee shop has already been a hit with dog walkers and locals (Image: Supplied)
“The butchers pies are going down a storm, the first batch sold out,” Mel added. “We also have locally sourced Kombucha tea which is fermented with apple cider vinegar and is good for gut health.”

And the dog walkers are also being catered for, with gourmet dog treats and free poo bags on arrival.

The idea for the coffee shop came first from co-owner Ian, who is a groundsman and looks after the 45 acres of land on the Pavilion site through his landscaping company Green Home and Garden.

He approached the owners of the site, Pewterspear Green Trust Ltd (PGT), to pitch the idea, noticing there was a need for something to bring the community together.

Dog treats and free poo bags are waiting on arrival for dog walkers (Image: Supplied)
“I think Stretton had lost its community, but doing something like this has brought it back again,” he said.

“I have always thought we needed something like this in the area and this year we got the approval from the trust.”

Tony Lyons, general manager and trustee for Pewterspear Green Trust Ltd explained that the coffee shop has a 12-month contract on the site, with the potential for expansion if locals warm to the business and its offering.

“It has been properly thought through with great products and professionally trained staff. Now we have the café, it is another thing for people to come out and do.

Resident Collie-Poodle Bruce will be on hand to help (Image: Supplied)
“We are delighted with how it has gone so far; it has been an excellent start, and it is bringing the building to life again.”

The new coffee shop is run by manager Lucy Parker who has 20 years of experience as a barista and formerly ran the popular Dormouse Tea Rooms in Daresbury. She will be joined by a small team of staff and the shop will be open 9am to 4pm every day of the week.

And footfall for the café is expected to spike in September, when the football season commences for Appleton AFC.

“We have had great feedback so far and we want to thank the community and the trust for being so supportive,” Mel added.

Plenty of snacks, sweet treats and even butchers pies all locally sourced to purchase (Image: Supplied)
A spokesperson for the trust commented on the new addition to the space, saying: “The Trustees are pleased to have facilitated the opening of Pavilion Coffee.

“The owners have converted previously redundant space in the Pavilion into a well-equipped, modern facility that provides a welcome new amenity for the community.  

“We wish Ian and Melanie every success with Pavilion Coffee and look forward to continue working with them in future.”

The trust is a registered charity managed by a team of 13 volunteers and has taken care of the 45 acres of land since 1995 on behalf of the community.

As well as managing the open space, paths and ponds on the estate, it also provides several football pitches that are used by the local junior football club.

Head down to The Pavilion Coffee at the Sports Pavilion in Stretton now.