Not-for-profit cafe Fair Shot opens within The Yards, Covent Garden
Longmartin Properties Ltd, a joint venture between Shaftesbury and the Mercers’ Company, has announced Fair Shot Café, the social enterprise, not-for-profit operator, has opened within The Yards, Covent Garden.
Located at 3 Slingsby Place, Fair Shot Café has opened its 2,224 sq ft unit within The Yards, Covent Garden, and focuses on tackling the unemployment rate amongst adults with learning disabilities via the café. Each year the enterprise enrols 12 young adults into their hospitality training programme, placing their trainees once they graduate in organisations across London, from hospitality groups to corporate offices. At Fair Shot The Yards, trainees will spend four days a week working at the café with a mentor, and one day a week at their partner college to carry out the educational side of the programme. The cafe itself delivers seasonal all-day dining options with a particular focus on inclusive eating for all dietary requirements, with menu stables including fresh salads, Foccacias and toasties, as well as pastries and sweet treats.
Fair Shot The Yards spans across two floors, the ground floor café boasting a mid-century Bohemian feel, with rattan banquette seating for up to 30 covers, a communal table and hanging plants, creating a light, warm and relaxed ambiance. The first floor hosts Fair Shot’s main office, where the social enterprise will run its operations, and a sizeable sensory blackout room, designed especially with the trainees in mind. Fair Shot Café represents creating positive change and acceptance, and advocates for competitive and integrated employment for those with learning disabilities.
Bianca Tavella, Founder & CEO of Fair Shot, commented: “We’re really excited about what The Yards will be able to deliver for us, being such a well-established and popular location, with a blend of innovative concepts and operators based there. We’re excited to embed ourselves within the West End and are confident Fair Shot will thrive here, enabling us to create a wider community of togetherness, awareness, and inclusivity and ultimately, continue to make employment for those with learning disabilities far more accessible.”
On behalf of Longmartin Properties Ltd, Abi Labbett, Senior Director at CBRE, also said: “The opening of Fair Shot Café marks another exciting addition to The Yards’ myriad of distinctive F&B concepts and strengthens the destination’s positioning as a go-to for visitors, residents, and office workers, come day or night. Fair Shot spreads a positive message about inclusivity and equality, which echoes the values of the destination on every level. At The Yards, we’ve been able to create a hub of concepts which embody difference and authenticity, and we’re proud to have Fair Shot as part the destination.”
Fair Shot Café joins The Yards’ diverse F&B offering, including brands such as Dishoom, the renowned Bombay café, Lahpet, the Burmese restaurant, Miscusi, the fresh Italian pasta brand, Buns From Home, the independent bakery brand and newly opened Gura Gura, the Pan-Asian concept developed by experienced restauranteur, Gobind Chona.