Broadside café will not re-open after lockdown as owner moves on

Nick Hare has been in charge at the River Kitchen in Wroxham for six years and built up a strong reputation for its food offering.

However, he has now announced it will not be re-opening again once lockdown restrictions on cafés are lifted in a month's time.

Instead, the 28-year-old will be focussing on the high-end picnic business he launched last year, while working towards his dream of one day running his own restaurant.

He said that while he did hesitate over his decision, a combination of the Covid-19 pandemic and his lease ending convinced him it was the right time to move on.

He said: "I did umm and ahh about whether to close it but it was just a bit of everything really. My lease was running out and if I wanted to renew it I would need to have committed to another five years - and I just don't think I was certain enough to make that commitment.

"I will definitely miss the view - as well as running the café I was its chef, so I used to love cooking and looking out of the window."

The River Kitchen in Wroxham. Picture: Stuart Anderson (Image: Archant)

Mr Hare announced his decision on the café's Facebook page over the weekend and said he was met with an outpouring of support.

He said: "People seem really sad about us closing and really shocked, saying how much of a shame it is - which means a lot.

"People have been coming to us since we opened and we had a nice team. We were all fairly young and I think people liked how happy and jolly we all are, but the time was right to move on."

Mr Hare launched his separate private dining business, PicNicks and More in June, which offers gourmet picnics and function catering in June last year, as a side project to the café.

But now, it will be his main focus, with the River Kitchen due to be turned into a licensed coffee shop.