BISHOPTHORPE Road’s newest cafe is hoping to impress the judges in the New Business of the Year category.

Robinsons Cafe opened its doors in April 2016 after being set up by Will Pearce and Rebecca Toppin with the aim of sourcing the very best in local produce to provide the shortest possible field-to-fork journey.

Ms Toppin, who alongside Mr Pearce has a background in catering, said: “Our idea of food heaven isn’t fussy gastronomy but simple, tasty food that uses quality local produce – all served with a smile.

“The new concept café opened with great optimism and has blossomed into a successful business over the past 16 months and continues to flourish.

Bishopthorpe Road has become an increasingly popular community hub and it was clear there was room for this new concept of café as the other businesses on the street were often at maximum capacity and unable to cope with customer demand.

“Robinsons innovative concept was not introduced to “step on toes”, it was introduced to fill a gap in the market.”

Robinsons joined the Bishopthorpe Road Traders Association which enables them to work with other traders to improve the area and create events for the local community as a collaborative.

As well as this the team has also joined Indie York, a collaborative group of Independent businesses in the city that have come together to produce a guide for locals and tourists alike.

Suppliers have been a main priority since the initial concept was created and building lasting relationships has continued to be a key business value. Local suppliers are used for most of their produce, in fact, their main meat supplier is M&K Butchers and their fruit and veg supplier is Millies, both Bishy Road neighbours.