Opening: Hildersham farm Flourish welcomes The Linton Kitchen

Local-hero cafe The Linton Kitchen has opened a third site at Hildersham’s organic farm, Flourish. Velvet pays a visit. . .

In brilliant news, The Linton Kitchen has opened a third cafe - this time at Flourish, the organic farm in Hildersham. Sharing a courtyard with the farm shop, the barn conversion also houses The Linton Kitchen’s bakery.

As founder Gemma Whiting explains, it’s the realisation of a long-held dream: “We've needed to expand our bakery for a while but I couldn't see us setting up in a bland industrial unit. . . I'd always said I'd wanted a barn, on a farm surrounded by flowers and herbs to use in our botanical bakes. Romantic I know! So when we were offered the space, it was hard to say no.”

Gemma and Flourish boss Calixta Killander have known each other since they respectively set up in business, a decade or so ago, and say there is a natural synergy. Adds Gemma: “Both of us lead our mostly female teams with a similar ethos and are both interested in sustainability and strive to run profitable businesses whilst also caring for the planet.”

Opening last month after a lightning speed seven-day fit-out, the bakery and cafe is “more informal” than both the OG Linton Kitchen site and its little sister in Chesterton, Barbarella, with “a bakery counter style, everything to takeaway in compostable containers”. All Gemma’s famously deliciously cakes, cookies, scones and brownies will be on the menu, though, along with savouries and drinks.

Once the weather’s warm enough, visitors can look forward to sunny courtyard seating, and both farmers’ markets and Off the Beaten Truck street food events are in the pipeline.

Follow @thelintonkitchen for more.