Beloved businesses Vigour and Antonia's Cakes team up in St Helens

Launched by childhood friends Scott Anderson, Anthony Georgiou, and Chris Heyes in 2017, Vigour has become one of the most popular eateries in St Helens and has been the town's top-rated restaurant on Trip Advisor for several years.

With a focus on high-quality meals, the Bridge Street business has adapted to various crises and shifting trends over the years, with its menu now consisting of small plates and meal plans, burgers and brunch, as well as Sunday roasts and 'build-your-own' options.

Constantly looking for ways to diversify, the Vigour team has now started to collaborate with other local businesses to encourage more people into the restaurant and shine a light on these venues.

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Vigour has adopted a more small plate focus in recent years (Image: Vigour)
One of the collaborations that has caught the attention of Sintelliners has been with Antonia's Cakes, a tasty bakery which has claimed the Star's 'Best for Desserts' vote for two years on the run.

Launched by mum-of-two Lauren King in 2015, Antonia's selection of cakes and sweet treats has made it a firm favourite in St Helens, with the bakery expanding to move from Duke Street to Gerard's Park in October.

Antonia's Cakes has become a firm favourite in St Helens (Image: Antonia's Cakes)
Explaining the collaboration, Anthony said: "I've been going to Antonia's for a while now and they have been doing really well. They are great at what they do and have a really good following.

"They dropped us some cakes off after they moved to Gerard's Park, and I just thought that it would be great to collaborate and try to support another local business.

"It also takes some pressure off our staff and the thinking is that it can only better the both of us. We have had a great response so far with some cakes selling out right away."

One of Antonia's Biscoff cookie pies (Image: Antonia's Cakes)
With the collaboration already benefitting both businesses, the plan is to have a selection of Antonia's treats, such as the Biscoff Caramel pie, triple chocolate brownie, and Bueno chocolate chip cookie, on sale at Vigour throughout the week.

The Vigour and Antonia's team will then change the menu on a monthly basis, with the aim of growing sales and custom at each business.

Vigour has also teamed up with 'Baldy's Dark Kitchen' (Image: Vigour)
In the spirit of collaboration, Vigour has also teamed up with 'Baldy's Dark Kitchen' recently, with the seven-course special event selling out with a hugely positive response.

Due to demand, a second event with the Wigan-based company is planned on May 3, and Ant said that events and collaborations are yet another way that Vigour is expanding to encourage people into St Helens.

Vigour, on Bridge Street in St Helens town centre (Image: St Helens Star)