Celebrating first three months

Amberley Shop and Cafe opened at the end of June amidst a flurry of excitement. A dedicated committee had spent six years raising funds, finding a venue, then designing and constructing the shop and cafe in, unusually, an active church - Holy Trinity Church in Amberley.

After three months trading and many thousands of coffees and cakes later, we are happy to report that the shop and café footfall has exceeded expectations. This means a general manager will soon be joining our team including nearly 80 volunteers.

In recognition of its high standards, in mid-September, the café achieved a five star food hygiene rating from Stroud District Council.

Upcoming plans include the addition of hot food in the café, the opening of a meeting space upstairs, and new seasonal products in the shop. There will be more pop-up events including a coffee morning in aid of Macmillan on September 29th following the success of a bank holiday cream tea event and holiday story times for youngsters.

The shop stocks everything from essentials like bread and milk to luxury ready meals and sauces. Popular items include Amberley honey, Woodchester Valley wine, Plenty Pies from Woodchester, cheese and meat from Taylors of Minchinhampton, and cards by local artists.

Chair of the Management Team, Helen Demuth said, “Whenever someone walks through the door for the first time there is a genuine look of surprise on their face when they see how a shop and café can complement a working church. We have been overwhelmed by the goodwill from locals and tourists alike and look forward to seeing many familiar and new faces in the coming months.”

Check out the full story with lots of great photos in Stroud Times:

https://stroudtimes.com/thats-the-spirit-shop-and-cafe-celebrates-three-months-at-holy-trinity-church/