Town Hall team seek café and catering operator

With the Hebden Bridge Town Hall development now rapidly taking shape, the trustees of Hebden Bridge Community Association are turning their attention to the practical arrangements for the building after it opens in early summer.

The Association announced details this week of the tender process which it is launching for the provision of catering in the new Town Hall buildings. The trustees are looking for a franchise operator to run the courtyard café, which will be open to the public seven days a week, and to provide the in-house catering for conferences and functions held in the new Waterfront Hall and the other new public rooms.

"We're looking for the right person or people with a strong track record in catering and café management, who want to work with us to make the Town Hall a welcoming and lively centre of Hebden Bridge life," says Sarah Lister-Blow, the Association's Executive Director. "Good quality food at reasonable prices both for our café customers and for groups and businesses holding functions in the building will be a key factor in the success of the Town Hall."

The Association trustees say that they are looking to create a café atmosphere in the building similar to that in other public venues such as theatres, libraries and arts venues. The café, which will overlook the riverside courtyard, will be a focal point in the building and will be open not only for tenants of the new creative and digital enterprise units in the building but also for local people and visitors. The franchise holder will also be responsible for catering for functions in the Town Hall, ranging from buffet lunches for weekday business meetings to evening dinners and gala events.

Sarah Lister-Blow says that the successful tenderer will be able to demonstrate that they have both the catering and management skills to operate the franchise effectively. "We will assess everyone who tenders on their merits, but we are particularly keen to make sure that local people with a background in catering are aware of the opportunity. We will also consider applications from cooperative businesses and social enterprises," she adds.

The Community Association has announced that it will not be seeking to compete with local pubs and wine bars. However occasional drinks licences will be sought for particular functions and events where bars are required. The trustees say that the catering franchise holder may also want to bid to run these.

Full details of the catering franchise tendering process is now on the , Community Association website.