March 17, 2016 9.22 am This story is over 96 months old

New Lincoln village cafe putting the kettle on for first customers

Lincoln couple Morag Brown and Steve Cole are creating jobs with their welcoming new cafe in a village outside of the city. Chartered surveyor Banks Long & Co has handed over the keys to a unit at The Precinct in Washingborough and Morag and Steve are pulling out all the stops to get The Village Café…

Lincoln couple Morag Brown and Steve Cole are creating jobs with their welcoming new cafe in a village outside of the city.

Chartered surveyor Banks Long & Co has handed over the keys to a unit at The Precinct in Washingborough and Morag and Steve are pulling out all the stops to get The Village Café ready to serve its first customers on March 21.

Morag is looking forward to opening day and the chance to fulfil a long-held ambition and Steve is putting his practical skills to good use and project managing a facelift at the premises.

“I’m really excited. It has been a long-term dream of mine to have my own café before I retire,” said Morag, who has left BT’s Broadband team to follow her heart.

Steve, a painter and decorator by trade, is giving the café a fresh coat of paint and getting it shipshape ready to seat 30 people. Morag is hoping that the new business will also create around six part-time jobs for local people.

“At first we explored the idea of opening on one of Lincoln’s industrial estates and providing a service for people working in manufacturing, engineering and other businesses,” said Morag.

“Then the opportunity to open at High Farm in Washingborough – a village I once lived in – cropped up.

“It’s a great location. The Precinct attracts lots of people, because it is also home to a Lincolnshire Co-op store, a newsagent, post office, pharmacy, Chinese takeaway and fish-and-chip shop.”

Morag and Steve plan to start off by trading seven days a week (Mondays to Fridays from 7.30am to 5pm; Saturdays from 8.30am to 4.30pm and Sundays from 9.30am to 3.30pm).

“We plan to feature everything from full English breakfasts to homemade lunches, traditional puddings, tea, cakes, paninis and Sunday Lunch on the menu, but we will ultimately tailor our opening hours to suit demand,” said Morag.

Morag and Steve are also planning to sell a small range of crafts and gifts in the café and they would love to hear from bookclubs, walking and craft groups which might like to meet there.

Banks Long & Co Surveyor Harriet Hatcher said: “We are very pleased to have let The Precinct unit to Morag and Steve, on behalf of our client Lincolnshire Co-op.

“We feel that this important village location and that the new café will complement the wide range of businesses already trading there. We wish Morag and Steve the best for the future.”