CAST Café Helston needs your help!
At TP HQ we are always on the lookout for new surroundings where we can enjoy good coffee and be tempted by home baked delicacies. We'd heard on the grapevine that a likely candidate had 'popped-up' in Helston. Having kept close tabs on their tweets, it all became too much when presented with the promise of 'Mother's Apple Gingerbread, with candied Pecans and Clotted Cream'. We promptly scrambled into the TP-mobile and careered down the B3302 with mouths watering.
The café can be found in the Passmore Edwards building, nestled in the heart of Helston. The building originated as a School of Science and Art. It's also seen life as a secondary school and later as a community centre. In 2012, following a period of neglect, it was taken over by CAST (Cornubian Arts and Science Trust) who are giving it a new lease of life. It now houses artists’ studios, is a centre for CAST educational activities and hosts public events, talks, screenings and performances.
The café space is as impressive as it is beautiful. Exposed bricks, patchworked paint and plaster allude to it's historic abandonment. Huge windows and high ceilings imbue these textures with natural light creating an informal and welcoming atmosphere. The space could easily be lent to hosting events and candlelit banquets (as we believe it already has!). We loved the long trestle tables and can imagine this would be a great place for many people within the community to meet up, work, eat, drink and socialise.
CAST Café is headed up by Dominic Bailey who has previously worked at the Gurnard's Head in West Penwith and The Duke of Cambridge in Islington, London (the only certified Organic pub in the UK). He is also a keen photographer and printer and has a darkroom in the Passmore Edwards building.
Although it's early days for the venture Dom's vision encompasses developing the café as a cultural space and installing a commercial kitchen. This will enable them to open on a daily basis with an emphasis on seasonal, quality, local food. Oh, and great coffee!
On our visit we sampled the aforementioned 'Mother's Apple Gingerbread' along with a slice of 'Beetroot Brownie'. Both of which got our vote. The menu also proffered up 'Potato, Parsley & Nutmeg Soup' and 'Smoked Mackerel Pate with Soused Cucumber and Toast'. If this is a taste of what's to come, then we are already impressed.
Need for heat
One vital ingredient still missing though is a soupçon of heat! The artistic cardboard stand-in, whilst looking the part, does little to warm up the bobble hat adorned customers. However, this is where you can help…
The Hearth for Helston crowdfunding campaign is looking to raise £5,000 which will fund the purchase and installation of a robust and efficient wood-burning stove in the café space. As this post goes live they are already at £3,755, and with 16 days left every new pledge will be thankfully received and edge them closer to their target. Also, if there are any carpenters or upholsterers out there who fancy taking a more hands on approach in aiding the project then check out the 'Pledge Skills' section.
Hear Dom talk about the campaign in the following video…
CAST Café is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9.00am – 4.00pm. Find it in the Passmore Edwards building, 3 Penrose Road, Helston, Cornwall, TR13 8TP.
To ensure you're kept in the loop with all the happenings at CAST Café, follow them on Twitter and join their Facebook page.
We wish Dom and the team the best of luck with all their exciting plans and we'll be back soon to hopefully warm up by the new fire.
