Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust has been working hard to care for the beautiful sites in their charge despite lockdown. Now Occombe Farm Café is getting a major facelift.
T
orbay Coast & Countryside Trust’s (TCCT) planned refurbishment work on Occombe Farm Café is now well underway. With contractors operating on site, Occombe Farm will remain closed until the building work is finished – but it will all be worth it! Damian Offer, Chief Executive, Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust explains, “We decided it made sense to undertake these building works before re-opening post-lockdown, rather than having to close again later in the year.” The Trust is building an extension on the south side, increasing the café’s capacity and expanding its floor space, which will help accommodate customers with doggy companions. The kitchen area will be reconfigured to improve efficiency. Plus, there will be a new counter and new displays for all the delicious food and drinks on offer. Initially, the increased floor space will enable the Trust to operate within COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. Later there will be potential to add more seating when normal operations are allowed. New toilet facilities will also be provided. The Trust hopes that all the work will be completed by mid-September and both the café and farm will be able to reopen at the same time. Sue Gillion, Occombe Farm Café Manager, told us, “We anticipate that a lot of our regular visitors will be disappointed that we will be closed over the summer holidays but we can’t wait to see everyone again when we re-open in September”. The Café project is part of a much bigger programme to develop Occombe creating a superb new destination
40 | August/September 2020
News for locals and visitors. Occombe Farm was originally set up to provide a base for TCCT’s farming operation. In 2005, the farm shop and café were added to provide a local food hub and to generate income to fund its vital charitable work caring for Torbay’s natural heritage. All profits from Occombe Farm Café go towards the Trust’s work across Torbay.
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