Richmondshire café set for £200,000 investment

A Richmondshire café is set to benefit from £200,000 investment to create an events venue and local produce store following a change of ownership.The Lakeside country café and shop at Ellerton upon Swale near Richmond has been sold to military veteran and entrepreneur Simon Hilliard.The well-known tearooms and shop were sold earlier this month by commercial property estate agency Ernest Wilson on behalf of owners Graeme and Sarah Thompson, who plans to focus on their neighbouring caravan park and activity lake.Hilliard plans to invest more than £200,000 in the venue to create a destination championing local producers, and stage a year-round programme of family events.He will run as a family business with his partner Jayne Robinson and his three grown-up children Kayleigh, James and Sadie. Ten jobs are expected to be created over the coming months, expanding the Ellerton Lakeside team to 25 staff.As well as a complete renovation of the 70-cover café, plans for the venue, located seven miles from Richmond, include expanding the site’s farm shop. It will stock a range of local produce including fresh meat, chutneys, honey and ice cream, some of which will be white-labelled and sold under the Ellerton Lakeside brand.