News from our partners: Café partner announced for Flaxmill Maltings in Shrewsbury

News from our partners Historic England

Successful local independent café owners J Grant Catering have been appointed to run the new café at the historic Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, when the site opens later this year.

Site owners Historic England signed a contract with Jason Grant and Jody-Lea Grant-DixWilliams of J Grant Catering, confirming that the Shrewsbury venue will become the second café that they operate, alongside the popular Green Wood Café in Coalbrookdale.

In keeping with the ethos of the Green Wood Café and the restored Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings site, the new café will have a strong focus on sustainability and the environment in how food, drink and supplies are sourced and delivered to customers.

The new Turned Wood Café will be on the ground floor of the historic Main Mill at the Flaxmill Maltings, and will welcome customers later this year when the site opens to the public. They will be able to enjoy a tasty range of vegetarian and plant-based dishes, with the J Grant Catering team developing an exciting new menu specifically for the new cafe which will build on the successful Green Wood Café menu.  There will also be a range of delicious cakes and alternative cold and hot drinks available, including coffee made using their own brand, Coffee with Soul, which is specially roasted for the site.

The space where the new café is located is marked on an 1855 plan of the site as a ‘Turners Shop’ and this inspired the name of the new cafe. It is believed that wood turning – or cutting and shaping wood – would have taken place in part of this space.

Unlike at other heritage destinations, the café will be run independently from the wider visitor attraction, allowing longer opening hours to service the local community and businesses.