A MUCH-loved café in East Oxford is getting a spring makeover – and will relaunch with a brand new look and menu.

The Flo’s Café, which is part of community hub Flo’s – The Place in the Park, will close this month to allow for renovations to the building, off Rymers Lane.

It is also home to a nature nursery, events space, refill shop and midwifery services. The midwifery service and nursery will remain open as usual, with the café due to reopen on Saturday, April 4 at 10am.

The team behind Flo’s will take over running the cafe from Fresh Connections, which helped set it up when the community-owned and run initiative first opened in 2018.

Operations manager Helen Mets-Tooma said: “We’ve been incredibly lucky to have partnered with the experienced team at Fresh Connections.

“They have been an invaluable support in incubating Flo’s in our first year. We’re now really looking forward to re-opening the new café, which we hope the whole community can be part of."

She added: “We’ve got lots of plans for healthy, fresh meals and snacks on offer, including food to take away in bio-degradable packaging.”

Oxford Mail:

New features at Flo’s Cafe include the menu - with a focus on fresh, ethical and local ingredients - a different seating layout, partial table service, a bigger terrace with 'sunshade sail' and a spacious buggy park.

With a strong focus on nutrition and seasonal food from different cultures, the mainly plant-based menu will be cooked to order to ensure minimal waste.

The café is set to have a week-long soft launch from April 4 to trial menus and new systems.

The relaunch ties in with the expansion of the Refill Shop on the same site.

ALSO READ: OX5 Run CANCELLED due to coronavirus

There will be double the food products on sale and a range of new items including olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chocolate-covered nuts and granola.

The Refill Shop, which opened in June, will also be switching to a self-service system, supported by volunteers on-hand to help with the transition. It stocks plastic-free dry foods, detergents and toiletries.

Co-centre manager Makena Lohr said: “More people want to be able to buy products with less plastic packaging, and many also want to know that their money is flowing directly into supporting their local community and economy.

“We opened the shop due to popular demand following a community consultation, and it has been thriving ever since.”

Oxford Mail:

It is hoped that people who use the Refill Shop will also make the most of the new-look café, which will have a diner-style circular booth and can be booked for larger groups and special occasions.

Ms Lohr said: “Flo’s café welcomes people from all walks of life and all ages to meet and enjoy good food.

"Some features, like the free-to-use community space for children, will remain, while others will get a makeover.

“The new layout will have more smaller tables as well as a couple of larger 'family tables. We hope the buggy store will be an improvement for both parents and customers, and will create more space and light indoors.”

ALSO READ: New £18m leisure centre has been CANCELLED

The cafe is also inviting food lovers to donate their favourite cookbooks and recommend a recipe. The best ones will be added to the café menu, with a name-check, whilst the cookbooks will become part of a library.

There will also be a token-based ‘pay it forward’ system where people can buy a stranger a drink, snack or meal.

Colour-coded tokens will be in one of three jars, meaning the people in need can help themselves without feeling embarrassed or ashamed.

Flo’s Café will be open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, and 10am-5pm on weekends.

For more information visit flosoxford.org.uk.