The Lincolnite tries: Rising Cafe’s Yorkshire pudding wrap

A Lincoln cafe run by a charity who helps the homeless and people with addictions is reopening to customers on May 18 and The Lincolnite went to check out its popular Yorkshire pudding wrap.

Rising Cafe, run by the charity Betel UK, is located inside Alive Church on Newland in Lincoln and has a team of up to 15 staff, including manager Allison Stibbard, and Steph Bisset who runs the kitchen.

Ahead of reopening on Tuesday, May 18 the cafe asked customers on social media what they’d like to see back on the menu and the Sunday roast in a Yorkshire pudding wrap was in big demand.

Matthew Jones slicing the beef ready for the Yorkshire pudding wrap. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The tray of delights which help make up Rising Cafe’s Yorkshire pudding wrap. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Gravy is a vital addition to the wrap. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The wrap is priced at £8.25. You can choose between freshly cooked roast beef, chicken, nut roast or without meat, but with extra roast potatoes and vegetables.

The wrap also includes roasted potatoes and carrots, parsnips, glazed leeks, green beans and stuffing, before being finished with gravy.

There will be some new additions to the menu including homemade chicken nuggets, teriyaki chicken wings, summer salads, sweet potato Puy lentil and feta salad, as well as launching Fish Friday.

A tasty treat from Rising Cafe. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The ready to eat Yorkshire pudding wrap. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

As well as the popular favourite of the Yorkshire wrap, there will also be vegetarian and vegan options, including homemade chilli and meat-free hot dogs and burgers.

Steph Bisset has worked at the cafe for three years and she told The Lincolnite the team are looking forward to inviting everyone back to dine with them.

Steph Bisset runs the kitchen at Rising Cafe. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The cafe and the charity which runs it mean a lot to Steph, who added: “I was on crack cocaine for six years and they helped saved me.

“We all lived at Betel in Nottingham and built up a community with the cafe in Lincoln.

“Within Betel I have learnt all the skills that we do here in the cafe and they helped me see a better way of life as before that I was just existing in addiction.”

Rising Cafe can’t wait to welcome customers back inside on May 18. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Have you tried to Yorkshire pudding wrap from Rising Cafe? | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Allison Stibbard, the cafe’s manager, has been part of the cafe since it first opened five years ago.

She joined Betel as a recovering alcoholic and lived in the charity’s girls’ house in Nottingham. She has been clean for 10 years and loves working with her cafe family.

Allison Stibbard is now the manager at Rising Cafe, which has become a huge part of her life. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

She said: “Betel completely changed my life. I came in wanting to fix myself up and then go back to London, but I felt something really special with the girls’s house and found what I was looking for.

“I have always loved food and cooking and we are a family here, it is a wonderful environment.”

Some of the team at Rising Cafe in Lincoln. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Some of the team at Rising Cafe in Lincoln. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

During lockdown, the cafe operated for delivery for afternoon tea and cakes whenever restrictions allowed it to do so.

The deliveries have now stopped and the cafe team is focusing on preparing to welcome customers back through the doors again in less than two weeks.