New Start Highland opens the doors to The Yard Café today at its Training and Reuse Village on Carsegate Road, Inverness. The Café, a first for the leading reuse charity and social enterprise, serves its own blend of coffee from Inverness Coffee Roasting Company. It offers a selection of delicious cakes, made daily onsite, alongside fresh, affordable breakfast and lunch options. Its purpose is to create opportunities and drive lasting positive change.
At the Training and Reuse Village, customers can now donate furniture and homeware, browse New Start Highland’s pre-loved hub and enjoy a coffee all under the same roof.
Yvonne Naylor, The Yard’s Café Manager, said, “Today marks a hugely exciting day for us as we open our doors to the public. The Yard has been created as an inclusive space for the whole community. It’s a place to catch up with friends and will be a welcoming environment where those experiencing loneliness can build meaningful connections. It will also serve as a training ground for hospitality students to develop their skills.
“More than just a café, it represents a pivotal step for us creating safe, supportive spaces where people can grow, learn and thrive together. I can’t wait to welcome those from our local community and beyond. As winter sets in it’s the perfect location to sit and relax in front of our woodburning stove.”
In line with the organisation’s commitment to sustainability, the menu features fresh, homegrown produce sourced from the neighbouring New Start Highland Gardens. Running the café will be a team of staff supported by trainees undergoing valuable employability training. Menu highlights include a locally sourced full Scottish breakfast priced at only £9.99, French Toast, Caledonian Eggs and a variety of cakes all made in-house by Yvonne.
The Yard Café is part of a £500,000 project launched earlier this year which has reconfigured the charity’s Carsegate site into Scotland’s first Training & Reuse Village, increasing capacity for furniture reuse and bike repair whilst creating up to 40 hospitality employment and training opportunities each year.
The Yard Café is open five days a week, 7.30am-4pm Monday to Friday and will be opening on weekends in the new year. It has been made possible thanks to funding from The Wolfson Foundation, Randal Charitable Foundation, THC Common Good Fund, Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust and Foundation Scotland.
For more information please visit newstarthighland.org.