Anti-food waste cafe faces 'heartbreaking' closure

Magic Hat events manager Anna Wiltshire says closure would be heartbreaking

A cafe battling food waste is set to lose its premises due to city centre redevelopment plans, bosses have claimed.

The Magic Hat says it has saved some 400 tonnes of food from going to landfill since opening in Newcastle in 2021.

But events manager Anna Wiltshire said the cafe now faced a "heartbreaking" closure, as its base at Newcastle City Council-owned Higham House was being sold.

The council said it was "considering all options" and "would be happy to discuss" possibilities for the cafe.

The Magic Hat started as a pop-up at Byker Community Ventre 10 years ago and moved into Higham House near the Laing Art Gallery in 2021, managers said.

It intercepts food destined for landfill, from supermarkets and organisations like FareShare, and uses it to create its ever-changing menu.

Magic Hat has been based at Higham House since 2021

Ms Wiltshire said the six-storey building was being sold for redevelopment, so the cafe had not renewed its lease.

The current situation meant the Magic Hat would close to the public on 2 November with the loss of 12 jobs, Ms Wiltshire said.

She said: "It's been a really hard position to be put in.

"It took a lot of fundraising to make this space happen, it took a lot of resources, a lot of time.

"It's heartbreaking to be honest."

Jill Barnett is one of the cafe's 50 volunteers

The cafe also has more than 50 regular volunteers, including Jill Barnett, who has worked with the project for seven years.

She said its closure made "absolutely no sense" and the council was not considering what the cafe contributed to the city.

A council spokesman said the authority was "currently considering all options for the future of Higham House".

He said they would be "happy to discuss with [Magic Hat] the possibility of staying in the building for longer".

"Alternatively, we are happy to support them to try and find suitable alternative accommodation that meets the needs of the business," the spokesman said.