Expression of Interest Brief

Pembury Café The Pembury Centre Ground floor Block A Atkins Square Dalston Lane Hackney London E8 HL11 Expression of Interest brief

Peabody, one of London’s leading Social Landlords is inviting expressions of interest from catering entrepreneurs or organisations wishing to operate a new café inside the purpose built, new Pembury Community Centre on the corner of Dalston Lane and Pembury Road that opened in October 2015.

Background

The café space is on the ground floor of a large Community Centre owned and run by Peabody. The centre is built underneath a new block of private sale flats. The centre is a large space with rooms and offices spread across two floors and a double height ceiling in the café seating area. The centre accommodates Peabody’s employment team that help people to find employment, various youth programmes and activities and a range of health and wellbeing activities. There are also activities run by community groups and volunteers such as bingo, a craft club and parents groups. A number of partner organisations from both the statutory and voluntary sector have also moved their services into the centre and offer group sessions and surgeries here. In addition, over 20 Peabody staff work from the offices inside the building.

The catering kitchen has the following equipment:

A double sink with pre rinser, a dishwasher, under counter fridges, 6 burner gas catering stove with full extraction, catering size grill, an upright fridge and freezer, display fridges, an urn, hot plates, a coffee machine connection point, preparation surfaces, storage units and a hand washing sink. The kitchen also has a servery and a pull down shutter.

The café is fully accessible and as well as male and female toilets, there is also a disabled toilet and baby changing facility.

In addition, there is a large terrace area on the Dalston Lane side of the café. Peabody have recently installed planters to make this area attractive and will be providing outdoor furniture. Everything inside the new centre was brand new in October 2015 and the café is fitted out with café furniture including tables, chairs and high chairs.

The opportunity

This is an opportunity to run a café and have access to a kitchen in a striking building in a great location a few minutes walking distance from Hackney Downs overground station and 10 minutes’ walk from Hackney Central overground.

The successful applicant will be able to develop the café to their own vision and cater to the diverse community of Hackney. Any plans to support training or apprenticeships as part of the venture would be looked on favourably. The café should be open as a minimum on weekdays 9.00am to 2pm, with a ‘core offer’ of food provided at lunchtime between 11am – 2pm and light refreshments from 9.00am – 11am. Peabody would be willing to negotiate subcontracting to other providers to make up this core offer if there is a benefit to Pembury residents. There is wifi available throughout the whole centre.

Access to the kitchen will be granted 24 hours a day for 7 days a week so that the successful applicant can use the kitchen to prepare for internal and external catering opportunities in line with their own business plan. There would also be scope to use the kitchen space outside of core hours to run food/catering training. The option of opening on a Saturday is also a possibility. Peabody can offer a ‘hotdesk’ opportunity for the café provider within an office with a printing facility and a lockable filing cabinet.

The Pembury Community Centre currently attracts an average of 350 visits a week between 9am – 5pm. Secured revenue includes providing refreshments for on-going activities in the centre (bingo, stay and play sessions) at £1500 per annum and catering for conferences and training. Most training sessions and meetings held in the building book tea and coffee via the café at £1.50 per head. Whilst some income will be made through this, sales generated through external catering opportunities or training are likely to be the main source of income. At the back of the centre is the Pembury Estate, a large estate managed by Peabody since 2000. It comprises 1,530 homes, with over 3000 residents.

The successful applicant will be responsible for public liability insurance and the maintenance of the kitchen equipment and will need to meet all requirements for all food safety legislation and inspection.

Peabody’s requirements

Peabody are looking for catering entrepeneurs, businesses or organisations that could deliver the following

 A café providing healthy affordable food for those living and working in the local area

 A catering service for ad hoc events taking place in or around the centre

 An offer to Pembury residents living on low incomes

Peabody would offer the café on a renewable 3 year licence and would be seeking a nominal rent return based on a sliding scale

Year 1 - £1500 per annum payable on a quarterly basis Year 2 - £3000 per annum Year 3 - £5000 per annum

All service costs for electricity, gas, water, drainage and refuse collection will be met by Peabody in the first year of operation and thereafter be negotiated between Peabody and the café operator.

Criteria

Candidates will be shortlisted against the following criteria. Please outline as part of your application how you and your business plan will meet these:

- A connection to the local area

- Affordability of meals for local residents

- Providing opportunities for local people including volunteering, training or apprenticeships - Previous catering experience and track record

- Ability to run a successful external catering business or other venture to generate external income

- Previous marketing experience

- Unique creative ideas and ability to engage with the local community

Process

Peabody would like expressions of interest outlining how an applicant would deliver against its three main requirements and elaborating on any other elements that the applicant would wish to incorporate into the venture.

The deadline for expressions of Interest is 5pm, Friday17th June 2016 with interviews planned for Thursday 23rd/ /24th June 2016. For a chance to view the premises and discuss further please contact Rebecca Fenner on [email protected] / 0203 8283500.

Days for the café to be viewed will be:

Friday 3rd June -9-1pm

Friday 10th June 9-5pm