A NEWLY opened café is a bustling hub in the community after being full each day since the launch.
Last month the Star reported how mum-of-one Heather Sheikhlou bought the 175-year-old former Welsh Chapel on Lancots Lane and opened up a café there on February 15 offering breakfast, brunch and lunch foods as well as cakes and coffees.
The Old Chapel, as the café is now known, has breathed new life into the church which is believed to be the third oldest listed building in St Helens.
After many years of closure, the Sutton Oak Welsh Chapel Preservation Society revived the building and used it for choir practice but ultimately the trustees decided in September 2021, to the put the building up for auction when it was purchased by Heather.
Heather Sheikhlou – who formerly owned a café in Orrell – decided to come back to her St Helens roots and bought the disused site at auction, with the aim of bringing what she did in Wigan to Sutton instead.
Heather from Parr, who currently has a 17-month-old little boy and currently lives in Ormskirk said: “Since the opening we’ve had so much support, we are always full and the feedback has been incredible.
“It is hard work, but very rewarding and people love our breakfasts, by far it’s the most popular thing on the menu at the moment.”
The venue has only been open a fortnight, but Heather is already working at getting outside seating sorted in an enclosed garden area as part of the property away from the road, which will seat a further seven tables under a canopy with heated lights.
She said: “We’ve had people from mum’s still on maternity leave to those on the new build estate and Sutton residents all saying they were looking for something like this to open in the area, which is lovely to hear.
“We’ve worked really hard to transform this building, which was in a bad way, and people really seem to appreciate that we’ve brought new life to it.
“Thank you to everyone who has come and visited us so far, and please feel free to come in and have one of our special iced coffees and more, we would love to meet everyone.”
The Old Chapel has 10 tables and will open from Thursday to Monday from 9am to 3pm offering beverages, breakfast, brunch and lunch as well as home-made bakes.
Follow The Old Chapel on Instagram via @theoldchapel3
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