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New Look For Former Restaurant As Eco-Shop And Café Set To Open

Kathryn Cross Published: 27 March 2023

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Number 24
Photo credit: Todd Baker

A wholefood and eco-product shop with a café is moving into the former Number 24 restaurant in Middleton Street and could be open within 3 months.

Poppy’s Pantry, which first opened a store in Melton, near Woodbridge, Suffolk, in 2008 has chosen Wymondham for its second location after bosses visited a number of towns in south Norfolk.

It will have a wholefoods section with vegetarian and vegan produce, gluten-free, wheat-free and dairy-free products, a refill station, a 'weigh and save' feature as well as a selection of healthy snacks, nuts, seeds and dried fruit, local fruit and vegetables and free range eggs.  With its emphasis on helping the environment they will also sell eco-friendly household products.

There will be a small café area which will have a selection of hot and cold drinks as well as homemade cake and scones.

Poppy’s Pantry is run by Realise Futures CIC which aims to help disabled and disadvantaged people enhance their lives through work experience, training, skills development, and employment.

Customer checking out at shop till
Photo credit: Simply C Photography

They will employ a manager and works coach and then have work experience opportunities available for people to learn cooking, sales, customer service, waiting tables and teamwork to boost their confidence in a real-life work situation and enable them to go on and find full time employment in the community.

Project manager David Finch said having looked at towns and villages within the triangle of Wymondham, Attleborough and Long Stratton they felt Wymondham stood out as the place they wanted to be. “We fell in love with Wymondham,” he said.

“It is such a nice place and what we really loved is the number of independent shops which is similar to our other shop in Suffolk.  Walking around the town it really felt relaxed and a lovely place to be.”

He said that Wymondham’s growth as a town cemented their decision as well as the fact that they would not have to do too much renovation to the premises.

“We are just in the middle of scoping out where everything will go to get started and getting everything ordered. We do have a policy of using local businesses for the trades so we have a Wymondham signwriter and are looking for local electricians.

Worker restocking shelves
Photo credit: Simply C Photography

“Poppy’s Pantry has been very successful in our first shop but this one has the added bonus of a café which gives added opportunities for work experience.”

He said that those applying for work experience would enter a programme of training to gain their independence.  “The idea is that they are not here forever, it is to get them to the next stage ready for full employment including preparing CVs, to interviews,” he said. “A lot of it is about confidence and going through scenarios so they will be ready for any job.

“We are really looking forward to being part of the community in Wymondham.”

Number 24 was first opened at 24 and 26 Middleton Street in 1991 by Richard Hughes, who is now chef director at the Assembly House in Norwich. The subsequent owners were at the helm of the fine dining restaurant for 19 years before announcing their retirement and closure in November 2021.

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