Watering Can café keen to continue momentum at Cherry Lane garden centre in Long Melford after re-opening following coronavirus lockdown

A Long Melford garden centre hopes to continue the momentum it has built up since trade resumed in May, after relaunching its popular café this week.

The Watering Can bistro, based at Cherry Lane in High Street, resumed its service yesterday, as the centre reports strong levels of trade at the garden centre, following the easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions.

Staff spent a week preparing the café for the reopening, with a new layout, screens, hand sanitisers and a one-way system all in place, plus a reduced menu and table service replacing the previous method of ordering at the counter.

It comes after the garden centre itself opened its doors on Wednesday, May 13, a month and a half after the Cherry Lane chain opted to close its locations at the end of the March, despite its status as an essential retailer.

Sharn Cleverly, manager at Cherry Lane in Long Melford, told the Free Press: “A colossal amount of revenue was lost from not being open at all. However, we’ve been trading really well since the garden centre reopened.

“It has been lovely to see our old customers coming back, as well as a lot of new ones. We’ve sold loads of compost, seeds, garden paint and all sorts of things for people to do while in lockdown.

“We have missed having the café open at the garden centre. It’s a great place to relax and has always been popular with our customers.

“We’ve had a lot of interest and phone calls from people asking when we are reopening. I think, mentally, it will do people a lot of good.”

To get in touch with Cherry Lane in Long Melford, call 01787 311889.