Manchester Cafe

In a city that believes in doing things differently, a new business opens its doors that believes in doing business for the best of reasons.

Create is a food business that offers outside catering services to the corporate and private sector but is a whole lot more.

The award winning social enterprise Create was proud to open the doors of its newly refurbished café in the Manchester Cathedral Visitor Centre on April 18th 2012.

What sets this café apart from others is not only the beautiful position but that Create is a different kind of business that believes in people as well and profit and offers training and employment to people who have been homeless or marginalised in the city of Manchester.

Create is a food business that offers delicious delivered food services to the corporate and private sector and now finds a fresh, contemporary home in the comparative calm of Manchester’s medieval heart. Create Food is inspired and directed by National Executive Chef Richard Walton-Allen, who’s years of experience and passion for British food caused the Observers Jay Rayner to write “by the end of lunch even this cynical old dog was ready to clamber on to his hind legs and applaud.”

Create’s Employment Academy offers a 12-week personalised support programme in a safe but truly commercial environment. It works because it gives people a framework in the real world of work. Trainees benefit from quality training, hands-on work experience and the chance to gain nationally recognised qualifications.  Perhaps most importantly, trainees find a place where they belong and a group of people who will support and believe in them.

Create trainees get an opportunity to work alongside Manchester Executive Head Chef Richard Moore who has enjoyed a long and successful catering career in the North West and be further inspired by the varied career opportunities available in the world of catering, hospitality and customer services.

Create catering established itself at the end of last year working from The Broadwalk, Salford and now  the Cathedral Café by Create offers a beautiful city centre space to enjoy coffees, light lunches and delicious afternoon teas as well as a superb space for hire for companies and private parties.

Richard Moore says “We’ve already got great success stories of our Manchester trainees getting back into work through their time at Create. It’s so rewarding to have the opportunity to inspire people within the catering profession, an industry I’m passionate about. It’s fantastic to watch each person grow and to see their self-esteem return. Once that personal confidence comes back, really the difference it makes is immense.” 

Check out the story on the BBC, listen to Lucy Campbell on BBC Manchester here (at 1hr, 46min, 30sec into Heather Stott’s programme), look at the great pictures on Flickr and follow the café on Facebook. We look forward to seeing you there.