Two park cafes in Newcastle which were controversially shut down are now poised to reopen within days. Deals have now been signed for new operators to take over the cafes in Exhibition Park and Paddy Freeman’s Park, which were both shut by Newcastle City Council earlier this year.
Exhibition Park cafe to become Bandstand!
Ouseburn-based doughnut and coffee chain Deep North will be moving into the Exhibition Park site. The venture will be branded ‘Bandstand!’ and is due to open next Monday, July 27, initially from the building’s window hatch while larger renovations are carried out inside.
Deep North director Phil King said that the Bandstand! venue will also open during the evening and host live music. He added: “Once we are fully up and running we will be offering speciality coffee and ceremonial grade matcha, wood fired pizzas, a full brunch menu, small plates, doughnuts, ice cream and soft serve, natural wines, cocktails and craft beers.
“We will be open daytimes but also opening on evenings soon, bringing some live music and DJs to the space. We want to bring something different to the park – serving those people who regularly frequent the park but also to attract new people to the area. Our approach to food and drink will be ensuring it is of the best quality – making things in-house and from scratch and working with high quality local suppliers.”
Paddy Freeman's Park cafe taken over by Ciccarelli
Newcastle City Council has also announced that Ciccarelli Italian Gelato has secured the contract to take over the café building in Paddy Freeman’s Park, which will formally reopen tomorrow [Friday, July 24]. The award-winning gelato business runs a flagship parlour in Blyth, as well as mobile vans across the region. It has promised an “extensive refurbishment” this winter in order to “create a better space for the community”.
The Gregorio family, who operate Ciccarelli’s, said in a statement that the Paddy Freeman’s cafe was “much-needed” for local residents, as well as staff and visitors at the nearby Freeman Hospital. They added: “The café will offer a range of hot and cold drinks, locally made Ciccarelli Italian gelato, light snacks and refreshments.
“As it develops, we will also be looking to work with local supplies wherever possible, sourcing products such as handmade cakes and other locally produced goods to showcase the fantastic businesses we have in the region. We are also looking forward to working closely with the Friends of Paddy Freeman’s Park and other local groups to create a welcoming community space.”
Public backlash and council response
The double cafe closure sparked a public backlash due to concerns over the loss of popular food and drink facilities, as well as toilets, used by families, the elderly, and people taking part in Parkrun. The council, which was run by Labour at the time, maintained that it could no longer afford to run them, claiming the sites were “haemorrhaging” cash and costing taxpayers around £200,000 per year to subsidise.
Colin Ferguson, who has since taken over as the council’s new Lib Dem leader following May’s local elections, said on Thursday: “When we were elected, I made it clear that we would look to accelerate the identification of new operations and am pleased we can now welcome Deep North and Ciccarelli into these popular buildings.
“The operators behind Deep North are one of the many success stories coming out of Ouseburn while Ciccarelli are an award-winning business with 60 years’ of expertise. I know it was a shock to users when the previous administration took the decision to close the then council operated cafes, and we knew it was important to re-open the buildings as soon as possible.”
