The Cafe which opened in June 2022 is appealing for support

“We are seeing that this has been the quietest start to the year” says Warren Allmark of Chester Pride. ” The street has changed since some of the brands have arrived on the street, our worry is that more brands will take away from the independents on the street. Chains and brands do bring people to the city, but I find it frustrating that we scream ” support independents” and then you walk past chain shops and they are full. We all buy from the same suppliers, we all have different pricing. We are known as a charity cafe and people might think we’re not as good quality. This has become more than a cafe now , we have a lot of our social groups here. We had a young girl who came in last September, she knew we had period products and she was caught short on her first period. Her dad emailed us to say thanks for helping her. We are approaching a thousand free coffees that we have given out for homeless people. We go above and beyond but the reality is , if people don’t come through the door on a bigger scale, the doors have to shut.

“Chester has some great independents, some are supported, some maybe over supported and that could be shared around. We have a loyal community but equally there are a lot of critics who will criticise but not support. “

Always a champion of Chester, Warren notes that “There’s more openings than closings, which is good. My worry is that the dynamics are shifting, we are opening more of the same things because people assume that coffee shops are taking a lot of money, and they’re not. We have a lot of investment, we have the new Mecca Bingo hotel, the Argos building could potentially be a hotel. Northgate phase 2 has started, I personally feel that inner city living in that area is the wrong thing. I personally would have moved the Northgate arena there, expanded to include maybe an ice rink, something for the kids to do. I think Chester is crying out for a small concert hall and we could start bringing bigger acts into the city, even for use as a conference centre. ”

He says that Chester Races is a divisive issue. ” This year was disastrous, no one seems to have been a winner in terms of increased footfall. Our takings drop by half. Last Friday we took less than £500. That is shocking for us. But the racecourse does work with the community. Its about reminding people that yes the races are on, but its not the warzone that you think it is. There a few idiots that get a bit too drunk, a minority that spoils it for the majority.”

The cafe does not charge extra for vegan products, and there is a large gluten free offering, part of the affordable quality which Warren is keen to stress. “It’s not just a gay thing as we first conceived, its a cafe that’s open to anyone, that supports the community. We do a lot of things outside of selling teas and coffees , we have just opened up to one of the community ADHD groups now and that is bringing people of all backgrounds together. We have art by local artists on show, and we have a local author who will be selling his book here , and there’s some Chester playing cards being launched which we will be selling from here.

“We are also looking at working with Soul Kitchen, I’d like them to expand into selling cakes that we can sell here. We have murals for The Vivian and Brianna Ghey- its a tree of hope , people put messages on there, and its to remind people that things do get better. We rival other coffee shops in terms of quality. we are all struggling with costs of living, I don’t want to come across as all doom and gloom because there is a lot of success in Chester, its just about widening your choice. Just for one time go somewhere different.

“What we do comes from passion and love, and the hope that it sustains what we do with Pride. We have the largest Pride in the country and one of the most recognised and well loved in the UK. Its a platform for education which is what the Tea rooms can be as well.”

The Rainbow Tea rooms is at 28 Bridge Street