Wheatcroft's Wharf, Cafe, Bar & Restaurant at Cromford Mills held it's official re-launch on Thursday 2nd July 2015
The Wheatcroft’s Wharf development is part of a £50million regeneration programme for the Cromford Mills site. This phase of works was brought forward due to the unprecedented demand for quality catering from visitors to the site, the numbers of which are increasing all the time. A second larger phase of development, the World Heritage Site Gateway and Creative Cluster, will also open later this year.
The historic Grade II building at Cromford Wharf was built in 1824 and was originally used to house goods awaiting carriage on the canal. It was also used as part of the Wheatcroft’s coal business and later as a workshop for the Canal Society, but fell in to disrepair at the end of the last century.
Local charity and Building Preservation Trust, The Arkwright Society, took a lease on the canal-side property from Derbyshire County Council in the late 1990’s and over the following decade developed meeting rooms and a small café at the site.
However, as Cromford Mills has become internationally recognised as part of the UNESCO inscribed Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, there are increasing numbers of visitors coming to the area. Work therefore began earlier this year on this phase of the regeneration plan, to extend the café to create a stunning two storey café: bar: restaurant. The Project has been funded through the Charity Bank and a small grants scheme for Derbyshire Businesses “Global Derbyshire”
Sarah McLeod CEO at Cromford Mills said “We wanted to create a stunning contemporary space in this beautiful canal-side setting. What we have is a fantastic facility for visitors to the area but also a great place for our local community to come and drink, dine and relax. We have already taken our first wedding booking and we expect the venue to be extremely popular given its unique canal-side setting.”
Wheatcroft’s Wharf is open for evening dining this year for the first time. The new menu includes beautiful summer salads, panini’s, pizza and pasta.and wash it all down with fine wine or the cafes own Arkwright Ale.
Nichola Waller, Catering Manager at Cromford Mill said “We know that many people walk along the canal on summer evenings and there seems to be a lack of places where people can stop for an alfresco snack, meal or drink in the area. Wheatcroft’s is ideal as it is such a perfect setting and provides both indoor and out door dining. There is now an extensive programme of events taking place at the Mill site across the road and some of these take place in the evening so we really hope that people will make the most of our evening opening."
For further details of Wheatcroft’s Wharf please call 01629 823256 or see the website at www.arkwrightsociety.org.uk
