A BRAND new café is set to open in a landmark North Yorkshire building.
After three years of major works to transform Malton’s Wesley Centre in Saville Street, the building is finally set to see new café open early this year, with a precise date to be set in due course.
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Known as Chapel Kitchen, the new café will be an essential part of the major transformation of the landmark building into a vibrant classical music, arts, and community hub, featuring state-of-the-art facilities.
An extensive programme of classical concerts is also being planned from spring this year.
Many thousands of concert goers and community users have already been able to use the ‘new’ Wesley Centre in the last year whilst the historic building has been restored and transformed.
The transformation of the 1811 Grade II* listed Methodist church building has been managed by a team led by local resident and former mayor of Malton, Paul Emberley.
Mr Emberley said: “Chapel Kitchen will be open from 8am to 4pm six days per week and will be a unique café experience, differentiating itself from other establishments, including its setting in a wonderful iconic space. It will offer great breakfast dishes, mid-morning snacks, light lunches, and delicious bakery products, all using the freshest of local ingredients. We’re dedicated to supporting local producers too, and with a fine choice of freshly brewed coffees and teas.”
The restoration of the Wesley Centre now features a classical concert hall with one of the finest natural acoustics in Ryedale, space for exhibitions, and a year-round programme of arts and cultural events commencing in 2026, with concerts, talks, exhibitions, workshops, and events.
The building is already home to no less than four large community choirs which meet on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings.
Chapel Kitchen is now recruiting, and is searching for an innovative chef and deputy, as well as front of house staff and volunteers.
Spearheaded by a campaign launched in 2016, the community helped save the Wesley Centre from permanent closure after major structural issues with its roof were discovered, and it was put up for sale twice previously, with no buyers.
Overall, the Wesley Centre has invested some £2.5 million in its restoration and transformation works to date, funded by the Methodist Church in Great Britain, through government grants, other grant-making trusts, personal donations, and some loan finance.
Works have included the core restoration and sensitive updating of the large main space as a classical concert venue, including roof repairs and transforming the north wing into commercial office space.
Work on the final phase of the project to reinstate a fully accessible £1.6 million three-storey annex attached to the rear of the Wesley Centre will start as soon as soon as new funds are secured.
The new ‘east wing’ will provide additional meeting rooms and green rooms for concerts, many more toilets on each level, a larger commercial kitchen for banqueting, and will incorporate the reinstatement of a large historic pipe organ.
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