Help get our cafes up and running again, the Brownlee brothers urge
IT WOULD usually take more than a cup of tea to interrupt the training schedules of Yorkshire’s Olympic triathletes Alistair and Jonny Brownlee.
But the brothers are today launching a new initiative to persuade walkers, runners and cyclists to make time for café stops along their routes.
The Brownlees, who hail from Leeds, dreamed up the idea to support tea rooms and similar small businesses that have struggled for trade this year. It will also benefit their charitable foundation, which encourages children to try out triathlon sports.
Jonny Brownlee said that despite the race against the stopwatch, refuelling at local cafés had always been an “unmissable” part of their joint routine, and that the idea for “The Cafés are Open” challenge came to them in March, when they when they were forced to swap roads, hills and open water for treadmills and static bikes.
“One of the biggest things we’ve missed in lockdown is our tea breaks at local cafés and we know it’s a challenging time for them,” he said.
Those taking part must donate £ 30 to the Brownlee Foundation before visiting five of 15 named cafés around Ilkley and Skipton by the end of November, taking a picture of themselves at each.
The first 500 to do so get the chance of a cycle ride with the brothers and a bundle of products from Yorkshire Tea, which is supporting the initiative.
Among cafés taking part are Bettys at Ilkley, Cobblestones Café and Riverbank Burnsall. The full list is on the website at www. thecafesareopen. com.
One of the biggest things we’ve missed is our tea breaks at local cafes. Leeds Olympic triathlete Jonny Brownlee.