Cassandra's cafe thriving after the closure of the Country Kitchen

Becoming a real community hub over the last decade, the Country Kitchen closed its doors for the final time in March as the Hardshaw Centre will soon be demolished under St Helens Council's regeneration plans.

The closure was described as an "end of an era" by staff and customers alike, but the same atmosphere was promised at Cassandra's cafe in St Mary's Arcade as both businesses were owned by former Merton Bank and Rainhill resident Kimberley Soni.

READ > St Helens town centre transformation: What will the new market hall involve?

Business attracting regulars from both cafes

The Country Kitchen team on its last day of operation (Image: St Helens Star)

Although Kimberley was offered another town centre space for the Country Kitchen, she said these options "weren't realistic" and as she has since moved to London, decided to prioritise the St Mary's cafe.

So with a handful of the Country Kitchen team transferring to the already popular Cassandra's, the business accommodated this by extending its opening hours and has been thriving by attracting regulars from both cafes.

In a part of the town centre where it is often difficult to attract shoppers, as St Mary's Market holders have previously attested, this popularity demonstrates a major success in delivering hearty, homecooked meals in a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

A place where 'people want to come to'

An previous example of Cassandra's menu items (Image: Cassandra's)

Diane, a supervisor at Cassandra's who has worked at the cafe and Country Kitchen for twenty years, said: "We're open from Monday to Saturday and are chocker at the moment, the only times we quieten down are late in the afternoons.

"We have had to manage a queuing system to get everybody in and out as we have been attracting regulars from both Cassandra's and the Country Kitchen.

"I think that shows that if people love something they'll come and pay for it [...] and Kim has done a great job to create a place that people want to come to with fresh food and homecooked meals."

Concern over long-term future of the cafe

Inside the St Mary's Arcade cafe (Image: St Helens Star)

While the ongoing cost of living crisis has caused difficulties for all businesses, Cassandra's popularity, particularly after the closure of the Country Kitchen, has meant that the cafe has been able to withstand much of these pressures and not extend many price increases onto its customers.

One thing that is a future cause for concern, however, is the potential demolition of St Mary's Arcade in the council's second phase of regeneration plans.

While more details have come out recently about the proposed plans for the town centre, including a new market hall, hotel, homes, and retail spaces, staff at Cassandra's seemed to be unsure of what the long-term future will hold for them.

Cassandra's has proven even more popular since the Country Kitchen's closure (Image: Cassandra's)