Fond farewell for Dinton’s Dragonfly Cafe
A CATERER who ran the popular Dragonfly Café at Dinton Pastures for 14 years has paid tribute to her customers and her team working there.
Barbara Miles, of Woodley, was deluged with cards and best wishes from customers when she left the café recently. She was moved to tears by the appreciative thank yous.
She and her team put down their aprons afterwards to enjoy a meal together – which they hadn’t had to prepare and serve - at The Castle Inn, Hurst.
The café businesses at Dinton in Hurst have been taken over by Cleverchefs who say they are “chef-led” and a “multi awardwinning catering company with multiple locations around the UK.”
The Dragonfly Café is now The Coffee House, the Dinton Activity Centre café is The Coffee Deck and The Coffee Pod will open near the children’s play area in peak seasons.
Mrs Miles, whose company is called Baking Waves, said: “We did tender to continue running the business but the service
specification did not match with my company profile.”
Her Dinton contacts started when she sold her cakes at Woodley farmers’ market.
“I was approached and asked to supply them for the Dinton café. Later I took on the café and also catering at the old golf clubhouse,” she said.
In 2014 she took on the park’s mobile café and later the activity centre café.
“Probably the thing I’m most proud of was building a team of really nice and incredibly loyal people able to talk to customers well. Many were with me for up to 12 years. We looked after the customers and each other,” she said.
She’s also proud of her managers who helped young people starting their first jobs grow in confidence.
And she is pleased that her sandwiches and other dishes were made to order.
A key job was keeping a watchful eye on weather forecasts to work out staffing levels and food orders.
She said the café’s turnover had increased by nine times.
A large number of dog walkers, lots of young families and other locals and older people used the café every day, she said.
“We got close to them, even going to people’s funerals. We held their wakes at the café and were very fond of so many customers. I love what I do, I’m a waitress at heart. Only a happy team makes happy customers.”
Mrs Miles, 54, is now talking to various people about different business projects.
As the cafés changed hands Wokingham Borough Council, Dinton Pastures’ owners, said the Coffee House would “sell Cleverchef’s own blend of coffee, which is hand-roasted in the UK by master roasters and gives a percentage of its profits to a children’s charity.
“The site will be offering not only their unique coffee, but a range of breakfasts to eat in or takeaway, alongside a lunch menu filled with dishes such as cajun chicken shawarma and woodfired pizzas.”
A Wokingham Borough Council spokesperson said: “All staff were transferred under TUPE from Baking Waves to Cleverchefs and that no staff were made redundant or had their hours reduced.
“Some staff have had their hours increased at their request and pay rises were awarded where due. Cleverchefs have also taken on new staff and are still looking for more local talent to join the new team.”