by John Prince
A town centre café that provides a welcoming place for people to come together, meet new friends and dine on fresh, affordable meals is marking its first anniversary.
The Community Café in Hornsea is open three days a week, every week at St Nicholas Parish Hall on Newbegin.
Run entirely by volunteers, the team have shaped their offers around inclusivity. Anyone who is genuinely struggling can receive a free meal, and regulars include a small number of people who are experiencing homelessness.
They have a full set menu on Mondays and Fridays, and on Wednesdays they invite everyone to give what they can towards the wholesome and tasty food which is cooked fresh on the premises.
Menus are deliberately traditional, simple and low-cost. A full English breakfast is priced at £5.95 and toasted sandwiches or paninis with a side salad are around £4.
There are hot and cold lunch options, jacket potatoes, homemade soup, freshly baked scones and cakes, plus a daily special – often a roast dinner – capped at £5.50.
Jonathan Parker is one of the team. He said: “We’re always here to feed anybody who needs it, and if anybody is going through hard times.
“I think the biggest achievement we’ve had is that we’ve become like a little hub of friendship. The number of people who come here have made long term friends and now meet up at other places.
“I think that’s been our huge success, as we’ve become a place where people can meet. If you’re on your own, you’re not on your own for long here.
“People get the warmest welcome in the town without any doubt. We’ve kept the food traditional and simple and inexpensive.
“Long term, we’d like to open it an extra day a week or two. We are run by the most amazing team of volunteers, so if anybody would like to volunteer, that’s what we really want if they could spare a couple of hours a week.
“We’d like to thank the people who’ve supported us like the St Nicholas PCC and the Hornsea Lions, and people who bring produce in from their garden for us to use. People have really taken it to their heart.”