Farewell to The Country Kitchen: The doors have shut for the last time

Taking over the old Country Larder space in the Hardshaw Centre ten years ago, the Country Kitchen has become a real community hub and is a friendly and familiar place to grab a hot drink or a bite to eat in the town centre.

Although it is still a popular venue, the Country Kitchen will leave its Hardshaw Centre premises on Friday, March 31 as the shopping centre will soon be demolished to make way for St Helens’ town centre regeneration plans.

Today the Star went into the very busy café to chat to the final customers.

All the staff behind the counter on their final shift (Image: newsquest)

Sheila Bromilow from Thatto Heath, said: “I’m always in here normally call in here and it's really sad that it won’t be here anymore. The staff have always been so lovely and the food is beautiful.”

Another customer Jean McClymont, from Parr, added: “It’s honestly such a shame, I dropped by fairly often but when I found out today was the last day I had to come in.”

Meanwhile dedicated customers Dot Rushton and Irene Marsh from Clock Face say they will be "lost" without the venue.

They said: “We come here once or twice a week, sometimes to the other one (Cassandra’s located in St Mary’s Shopping Centre) but it’s lovely here.

“The staff have been upset today which is sad. It’s the loveliest food in the nicest place and it's friendly. We’ll be lost without it here actually. It’s a loss for the town centre definitely.”

On the opening of the Country Kitchen in 2013 (Image: St Helens Star)

Taking over the business in 2013, owner Kimberley Soni was offered another space to relocate in the town centre, but as the “options weren’t realistic” and she has since moved to London, she turned it down.

As Kimberley also owns Cassandra’s café in St Mary’s Arcade, many of the Country Kitchen team will move over to this café, which will accommodate the closure by extending their opening hours. For some staff members, however, today has been their last day in the job.

Staff were giving each other strong and tearful hugs goodbye as the Star entered the café. With customers coming in to bid them farewell and get their final orders of quiche and pies.

Jackie McBride, who is originally from Scotland but moved to St Helens 30 years ago, was there when the Country Kitchen opened ten years ago and will be there when it closes for the final time.

“It’s an end of an era”, she tells me, “I think there will be a lot of tears when we close”.

“It’s a lovely place here. There’s a massive community feel [to it] and we see the same faces every day.

“We have had to put some of our prices up [during the cost of living crisis] but none of our customers had any trouble about that. Business has been good recently so I don’t think we would have closed if it wasn’t for the Hardshaw Centre closing.

READ: The Country Kitchen to close for the final time in the Hardshaw Centre

“But a lot of us work between here and Cassandra’s anyway, so I’m hopeful that a lot of our customers will come over there and support us.”