A CAFE in Kendal reopened under a new name after receiving support from Cumbria Business Growth Hub. 

Based in Kendal town centre, Bumble Bees Take Away opened three months ago and has been booming ever since, serving customers six days a week. 

Until July 2022 the café had been operating as Harry's in the Town under different ownership.

However, with the business struggling due to rising costs, the decision was made to close the café. Louise Hudson, one of the owners, was working at Harry’s when it closed and decided to take over the business with her partner Andrew McRobbie.

The Westmorland Gazette:

Andrew and Louise purchased the kitchen equipment from the previous owner and then got to work rebranding the café as Bumble Bees Takeaway. They added new items to the menu and shopped around to find the best deals from suppliers to ensure profitability.

Andrew and Louise’s determination for the business to succeed, combined with the support of Cumbria Business Growth Hub, has paid off and just over three months in the business is turning a profit.

Now established, the pair can contemplate the future of Bumble Bees Take Away and its role in serving the people of Kendal.

Andrew said: "The support we received was invaluable being our first time starting a business. The help we got with even the most trivial of questions will stand us in great stead for the future. Anyone with any plans to start a business, this help is an opportunity that can’t be wasted."

"Looking forward we will strive to keep prices as low as we possibly can. We know the people of Kendal are struggling like the rest of the country so pricing is paramount to our plans. We will add products that we think are value for money and hope that we are well supported by the local community."

Bumble Bees Takeaway serves home-cooked food, from cooked breakfasts to pies, sandwiches and soup at lunchtime, as well as freshly-baked cakes and specials including chilli and quiches.