New Bird Kitchen, an independent container café in Liverpool's Baltic Triangle, has temporarily closed due to "prior commitments and unexpected staffing issues." The café, located on New Bird Street, announced the closure on Instagram, stating it would be shut until Tuesday, July 28.
Owners Lorraine McCulloch and Jan Simpson, who left careers as a celebrity stylist and film/TV costume designer respectively, opened the business in September last year. The café operates from a container unit with a spacious garden seating area and is known for its large sandwiches and lunch specials.
Statement on Closure
In an Instagram post, the café said: "Unfortunately, due to prior commitments and unexpected staffing issues, we’ve had to temporarily close New Bird Kitchen for this week. We’re really sorry to anyone who was planning to visit us this week. As a small independent business, these situations can have a big impact, but we’d rather take a short break than not give you the quality and service you deserve."
The post added: "We’ll be back open on Tuesday, July 28, refreshed and ready to welcome you back with great coffee and good food. Thank you so much for your patience, understanding and continued support. It means more than you know, and we can’t wait to see you all again next week."
Background of the Business
Speaking previously to the ECHO, Lorraine explained the concept originated during lockdown when both had no work. "During lockdown, our jobs were non-existent. No one was filming, shoots weren't happening and we could work from home. We thought, 'Wouldn't it be fab to do a food truck?'" She noted they are big foodies and started a Pinterest board for the idea.
Last year, Jan designed costumes for ITV's drama 'I Fought The Law', with Lorraine assisting. After wrapping their part, they revisited the Pinterest board. "We revisited the idea again. We thought it'd be nice to go for something akin to a side hustle when we're not working, or at least something that one of us could do when we're available."
With help from friends Jayne Casey and Eric Gooden, who run the Baltic Triangle's District space and New Brighton's District House, the pair secured a container unit and opened New Bird Kitchen on September 30.
