Grumpy Cook Leaves Bale House
The café at the Bale House Visitor Centre in Hastings Country Park closed over the Easter weekend and will not reopen until a new operator is found.
The centre is managed by national charity Groundwork South. The café concession had been operated by the Grumpy Cook team since it opened in 2021 (two years before they set up shop on Robertson Street in Hastings town centre), and they were widely recognised as providing a popular service.
On the Grumpy Cook Facebook page ‘Team Grumpy’ have alleged that the reason given for the termination of their concession was a failure to inform Groundwork of a transfer of the business from an original private company Grumpy Cook Ltd to a not-for-profit successor Table88 CIC. “In essence, transferring to almost charity status and putting all of our profits to helping the people of Hastings is obviously a very bad thing to do”.
However, according to Groundwork’s Director of Development & Strategic Programmes, Ben Coles, it was discovered on the Thursday before Easter, 28 March, that Grumpy Cook Ltd had been dissolved in November 2023, and they were concerned that the company’s insurance cover had not been passed over. Barry Ashley, director of both the former company and its replacement, was asked to demonstrate there was cover in place. When he couldn’t, he was asked to close the business forthwith.
In a statement issued by Groundwork this week, it was stated that the insurance company named by Mr Ashley “have confirmed that the decision not to allow Table88 to trade was correct”. It was further stated that Groundwork made overtures to Table88 to discuss the insurance position further after the holiday weekend but “these were not responded to”.
Groundwork has issued an apology to visitors, confirming that the centre remains open, and that there is a temporary plan in place to provide “free light refreshments” while an alternative caterer is sought
Table88 have made it clear that the Grumpy Cook café will continue to trade in Robertson Street and undertake its charitable work from there, “so it’s not goodbye, it’s just cheerio from the Bale House.”
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