Thousands of revellers are descending on Ruddington this weekend to take full advantage of the hundreds of beers, ciders, wines, spirits and entertainment which make up RuddFest 2018. All being well our pubs will be full – along with people thronging around the dedicated marquee and stalls on The Green.
But for those less keen on the alcohol, or needing a break from the stronger stuff, Ruddington has plenty of other village centre venues you can stroll to for a nice, refreshing cup of tea or coffee. This now includes Jasper’s Café again – reopening just in the nick of time at 10am on Thursday 31st May – just two hours before the first pints are pulled (or drawn!) at our beer festival.
You may remember that, earlier this year, Jasper’s had to relocate from its shared premises on Dutton’s Hill (now occupied by Apotheka). Paul Carver and Cathy Hatfield’s hunt for an alternative Ruddington location and the subsequent creation of a NEW Jasper’s at 24B High Street (from what was the former Capitol Video/High Spirits/Drinks & More convenience store) has taken four months.
“We had a massive response to our Crowd Funding – which we launched when we had to leave Bar Six – with the amazing public of Ruddington raising around £2600 for us in total then us putting in the rest to finish it off” explains Paul. As for the interior decor and furnishings? “We were keen to use a lot of recycled materials so you’ll find a lot of the walls are clad with pallets, all the tables have been handmade out of scaffolding, chairs are all refurbished and reupholstered, and the vast majority of fittings like the bar was the wood already in the building reused to do other things!” Paul and his team are hoping customers, old and new, will like their rather striking new look at their High Street location.
Also currently having work done is Philo’s Deli – after having taken over the empty shop unit at 1A, Church Street vacated by Tanners. They’re using it to create a bigger kitchen area – making more room for their outside catering – and will soon also have another small counter area with around 10 extra lower level seats for customers. They’re not quite ready to open that bit yet but, as our photo shows, they’re making good progress!
You’ve also the option of calling in at the Black Cat Café at 24D High Street which is going from strength to strength since being taken over by current owner Julie Smith almost two years ago. It boasts an attractive outside seating area for when the sun shines for customers to enjoy a coffee and a cake.
On the other hand, if you prefer a more traditional cuppa, you could head down Church Street – since there’s nothing to beat The Old Bakehouse Tearoom. Lesley Wells and her team have been at the former Horspool’s Bakery Shop at the corner with Shaw Street for six years. As of this month, they are now opening seven days a week.
There are OTHER options too – such as Grange Bakery on Church Street and even the lovely little tearoom within the Framework Knitters’ Museum if you happen to be heading there?
So there’s lots to try out – and to help you drink responsibly – during your RuddFest #RuddyGoodDayOut in Ruddington!
