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Foundation opens apprenticeship café

Thursday 10 July 2008

The Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation is proud to announce the official opening of Pryors Bank Café, the latest self-help initiative from the Foundation.

This self sustaining project benefits former homeless ex-Servicemen and women, by getting them back into a working environment. It is also a vibrant café, run by highly professional staff, serving excellent food and drinks.

Set on the bank of the River Thames in the beautiful surroundings of Bishops Park in Fulham, Pryors Bank aims to offer its customers all they might expect from a modern café. However, whilst the café is run as a commercial venture it also provides training and rehabilitation for a small number of formerly homeless ex-Service people each year.

Pryors Bank Café was officially opened this morning by guest of honour General the Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank: "After the tremendous success of the Beef Kitchen, I am pleased to see Pryors Bank Café come to life."

The launch ceremony was attended by supporters of the Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation as well as local residents. The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment from Knightsbridge Barracks attended, diverting the Watering Order daily exercise of their horses in order to be outside Pryors Bank at the opening ceremony. They were accompanied by two trumpeters.

Bob Barrett, co-founder of the café explained: "It is wonderful to see our vision become a reality. Our goal was always to provide a really great café that Londoners would love to visit on the strength of its food, which is all freshly cooked and locally sourced. Along the way we are helping ex-Servicemen and women help themselves by giving them training and a rewarding job in a supportive environment. The fact that our profits go back in to the Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation means a huge amount. All of us want to give something back to the organisation that has helped us so much and we hope this might be the first of many similar cafés."

For more information about Pryors Bank please visit the café's website.

One of the Pryors Bank waitresses taking an alternative order