Parkview Cafe

Maintenance

2011-08-02T14:36:00.001+01:00

We are going to be closed on Saturday 20th August for some essential maintenance works. We're really sorry for the inconvenience, but we will be turning the water off so opening would be a bit tricky. Business as usual after that.

Summer is here...

2011-06-29T14:13:00.002+01:00

... well sort of! If you're feeling in a summery mood we've got a selection of ice creams and lollies for sale in the cafe, from tubs of dairy ice cream to Fabs and Cornettos. And we've got the tables and chairs out the front if you fancy an alfresco lunch.
A big thank you as well to our work experience girl Lisa who has been helping us out on Saturdays for the last few weeks (we are open from 9am to 4pm for those who didn't know). She's been a fantastic help and we will miss her when she goes to college!

Photomarathons and bank holidays

2011-05-27T16:53:00.002+01:00

Firstly, we will be closed on Monday 30th May and Tuesday 31st May for the bank holiday, re-opening as usual on the Wednesday. The day after that is curry night again - last time we had 20 or so people and it was a cracking night; £6 per head, ring the cafe if you would like to book a table.

We're on the fourth week of our photomarathon as well, the photos that the competitors have been taking have been excellent; here's a few examples to show what they have been up to. There's plenty of spaces left - we will be running the competition all the way through the summer; if you want to book a place, give Steve a ring on 02920 382151.

Easter

2011-04-16T12:48:00.002+01:00

Due to all the bank holidays falling in a short space of time, we will be closed for a few days over Easter: details below.

Breakfast

2011-04-16T12:45:00.000+01:00

Photo marathon

2011-03-23T22:43:00.002Z

We are going to be running a photo competition from Parkview... details on it's own special blog here

Lent in a tent, and a regular curry night.

2011-03-14T21:54:00.002Z

If you would like to raise money for a very good cause, then you might want to support Andy and Del, who will be spending Lent in a Tent in order to raise money for the Welsh Special Olympics Team. A number of trainees and customers from both Parkview and Baltic cafes have been involved with the team over the last few years, some of whom have won piles of medals in various disciplines in the past. Lent in Tent will involve Andy and Del spending the whole of Lent (43 days of it) in a tent in their garden, apart from two hours a day when they are allowed to enter their house to wash use the toilet. If you would like to contribute then they have a Just Giving page where you can make donations.

In other news, our very succesful Curry Night is now going to be a regular fixture, on the first Thursday of every month (which means I won't be able to mess up the dates on the poster any more...), £6 per head, from 6pm onwards.

Buffet

2011-03-01T20:26:00.002Z

A selection of some of the food that we produced today for a knife and fork buffet.

Cake

2011-03-01T20:24:00.002Z

Some of the cake that we sell in Parkview, all produced by the fabulous Simply Steve's on Clifton Street.

News update

2011-02-18T17:18:00.003Z

Firstly, a big hello to Karen, who is volunteering with us and helping to record the trainees' progress and achievements - you can see some of the pictures and videos that she has taken on our training blog, which where we show off some of the skills that the trainees have learnt at the cafe.

Secondly, there is another curry night coming up, this one will be on Thursday 3rd March. We're planning to have a curry night on the first Thursday of every month unless something drastic happens; we are also planning on having a karaoke night in the near future too (date tbc).

We're going to be running a mini photo marathon throughout the summer as well. This will be designed to be accessible (but not exclusive) to people with disabilities, and there will be some nice prizes on offer as well. If you want any further details or you would like to book a place, drop us a line on photomarathon@parkviewcafe.org.uk.

Curry night - Feb 3rd

2011-01-11T15:04:00.001Z

The next curry night will be held on Thursday February 3rd... tickets available from the cafe.

Happy New Year

2011-01-07T13:02:00.002Z

Happy New Year everyone, hope you survived all the snow and flu that was around. We're open again for business as usual with one small change - we're changing the opening hours on Saturday to 9am to 4pm, with breakfast being served all morning. We've got some special events planned as well, so watch this space...

Christmassy stuff

2010-12-16T17:40:00.002Z

First of all, merry Christmas to all our staff, trainees, volunteers, customers and friends - it's been a good year for us here at Parkview, thanks very much to everyone for all your support. Secondly, we will be closed from Christmas day through to Tuesday the 4th of January, reopening as normal on Wednesday the 5th of January. We hope everyone has a nice break, and we will see you all next year.

Innovate Trust Christmas Fair

2010-11-30T10:34:00.001Z

Innovate Trust's Christmas Fair is on Saturday in the Wesley's Church Hall (just down the road from Parkview): details on the poster below.

Menu revisions

2010-11-22T14:03:00.004Z

Made a few revisions to the menu...

Curry Night

2010-11-10T11:55:00.001Z

Another curry night coming up, Thursday 2nd December at 6pm.

Updates...

2010-11-08T18:06:00.002Z

Sorry, been a bit lax with the updates on here recently (if you want more little snippety bits of info have a look on Facebook for Parkview), so here's a few photos of what we've been up to.

Jon and Rebecca

Curry Night

Healthy Eating Workshop

Ategi volunteers

Random stuff...

Child Neurology Fund Gala Evening

2010-09-24T21:18:00.003+01:00

Details on the poster... we will be doing the food, and one of our trainees, Joe, is helping to organise it with his sister Rachel. Only £8 and all money goes towards a telemetry room at the Heath Hospital to help kids with epilepsy.

Barbeque

2010-09-09T19:30:00.002+01:00

We had a barbeque for the trainees on Tuesday night - it was a rainy evening though so we ended up indoors. It was a great evening - pictures below.

Videos, ice cream, new people...

2010-08-04T17:42:00.002+01:00

We're now recording the skills that the trainees have learned using videos as well - you can see them on the training blog, or on our Vimeo page.
We're selling ice creams and lollies in the cafe now as well, all sorts of different types like Cornettos, Fabs, Twisters... and we've had some new people start as well - Hi to Lydia and Rhys, who are both helping us in the cafe.

Bank Holiday

2010-05-26T09:23:00.001+01:00

We will be closed for the late May Bank Holiday on Monday and Tuesday next week, reopening as usual on the Wednesday.

Training blog

2010-05-21T17:31:00.002+01:00

Our training blog is now online... we will be using this blog to show the skills that our trainees have learned, and for people to have a chance to see what the trainees get up to in work behind the scenes. There should be some videos coming soon as well...

3to3 website

2010-05-13T13:45:00.002+01:00

We have just been listed on the 3to3 website, which is an excellent directory of the goods and services that third sector businesses can offer, and free for any charities to use.

New staff and Bank Holidays

2010-04-27T10:32:00.002+01:00

Firstly, hello to Lawrence and Kimberly who have just started working in Parkview; their help and hard work is greatly appreciated!
Secondly, we will be shut on May Day (May 3rd) and also for the late May Bank Holiday on the Monday and Tuesday (May 31st and June 1st). Otherwise business as usual; don't forget that we're serving until 7pm ish on Thursday and Friday, and open for lunch and evening meals on Saturdays as well.

Open evening

2010-04-07T15:47:00.002+01:00

We're going to be holding an informal open evening this Friday (9th April) in the cafe, to let people know a bit more about the work that Innovate Trust carries out, and to give people a chance to meet the staff and trainees. It starts around 6pm (but feel free to turn up earlier if you want), and there will be some free drinks and nibbles. If you would like to know more give the cafe a ring on 02920 231966.

Easter holidays and lottery open evening

2010-03-19T17:16:00.002Z

Firstly, we're going to be closed for the Easter weekend from Good Friday through to the Tuesday after that, re-opening as normal on the Wednesday. We hope you all have a lovely Easter, and that the Easter bunny brings you lots of lovely chocolate.

Secondly, we will be holding an open evening in the cafe on Friday 9th April to celebrate the lauch of our new funding stream from the Big Lottery Fund. We will be starting at around 6pm, and there will be lots of chances to find out more about the work that we carry out in the cafe, as well as the rest of Innovate Trust, who own and operate Parkview. Free bubbly and canapes as well...

Cardiff Lions

2010-03-11T15:08:00.002Z

Massive thanks to Ivor and the Cardiff Lions who have donated us a big pile of kitchen equipment. The Lions do a huge amount of good work all over the world, click on the link to find out more about what they do.

La Cartes listing

2010-02-24T10:54:00.001Z

We are now listed on the La Cartes website - feel free to have a look and leave us a glowing review!

Parkview on twitter

2010-02-18T18:58:00.002Z

Now twittering...

Parkview on twitter

South Wales Echo article

2010-02-10T14:21:00.005Z

A lovely article about the cafe in the South Wales Echo today; link to an online copy (without the pictures) here.

Customer survey

2010-02-05T16:18:00.002Z

Firstly, a massive thanks to Chris who has been with us for the last two weeks on work experience - he's been a huge help, cheers Chris!
Secondly, we're doing a bit of market research, so if you fancy filling in an online survey for us there's a link at the bottom. If you fancy adding your name to our mailing list that would be great as well.

Click here to take survey

Digital Switchover Helpscheme- Community Programme

2010-01-29T16:07:00.001Z

Do you know someone through your work, family or in the community who is elderly, disabled or socially isolated and who may not know about the forthcoming digital switchover? If so then please let them know about the Digital Switchover Help Scheme available. This is either free or subsidised depending on individual circumstance. The number for the help scheme is 0800 40 85 903 or visit the website helpscheme.co.uk

Happy New Year

2010-01-16T14:35:00.003Z

Happy New Year one and all. We had a bit of a funny start to the year what with all the snow and ice; we managed to open every day though, even though it was pretty quiet around here. Hope you all coped with the extreme weather and managed to stay warm; Adam has been cooking up some lovely wintery food like beef stew and lasagne al forno which really hits the spot when it's chilly outside. Don't forget about our other online stuff as well - we are now both on Facebook and Flickr.

xmas update

2009-12-24T10:41:00.002Z

Well, it's been an eventful few weeks; been a bit too busy to update this page what with all the turkey and roast potatoes, so here goes... we have had a major funding application approved by the Big Lottery which guarantees the cafe's existence for the next three years. Rosie, who is one of our fundraisers in Innovate Trust, had spent six months on the application, and we found out that it had been approved last week; big thanks to both the Big Lottery and Rosie for making this happen!
Other news: thanks to everyone who came down for a Christmas lunch this year, it had a lovely festive atmosphere in the cafe. We are also now have a Facebook page as Parkview Cafe; if you are into that sort of thing please have a look - it's still under construction at the moment, but I am on a mission to accumulate as many fans of the page as possible, so if you become a fan that would be great.
We will be closing over the Christmas break from Christmas Day to the 4th of January and reopening on Tuesday the 5th of January as normal.
Lastly, a massive thanks to all the staff and trainees, and to all the customers that have supported us over the last year - have a very happy Christmas and see you next year!

Real Radio

2009-11-13T14:36:00.003Z

We had Chris Moore and the team from Real Radio in the cafe on Tuesday to do a piece on how the National Lottery spends its money on good causes. We have had funding from the Lottery which has helped in all sorts of ways with the cafe (and Baltic Cafe as well) and without which we probably wouldn't be here now... they interviewed some of the staff and trainees and did a bit of filming as well, which will be broadcast from their website . The radio broadcasts should be going out next week.

Early evening opening

2009-09-19T16:20:00.003+01:00

We are now open until 8pm on Thursday and Friday, and 12pm to 8pm on Saurdays as well, with a brand new menu for those times - burgers, steaks, tuna and salmon, chips and some new desserts too. Or if you just fancy popping in for a latte and some cake that's fine as well. We're going to develop the menu over the next few months, so we would love to hear your views on what we're doing, and any suggestions that you might have. We don't have an alcohol license, but you can bring your own wine for a modest corkage fee, and we will have the ability to take card payments soon as well.

Maker's market pictures

2009-09-09T10:20:00.002+01:00

Next one is going to be on the 27th September; the last one went really well, Tracey transformed the cafe into an Aladdins cave of wonderful handmade crafty stuff; here's a few pictures.

Makers' Market Roadshow

2009-08-19T17:51:00.002+01:00

There's going to be a craft fair in the cafe on Bank Holiday Monday - there'll be pottery wheels, jewellry making and all sorts of local makers displaying their wares. There will be tea and coffee available, but no food, I'm afraid. We'll be closed on the Tuesday after that, and open as usual again on Wednesday.

A small victory...

2009-08-12T09:38:00.003+01:00

... but one that's made me very happy. If you've ever visited the cafe you will probably aware of the problem that we have with cars being parked outside on Cowbridge Road with For Sale signs in them, which stop customers and local residents from parking. After 4 (!) years of going on to various parts of Cardiff City Council, something positive has actually been done: click on the letter to make it bigger.

Lunchtime menu

2009-08-10T17:07:00.004+01:00

Just changed the lunch menu, here's a copy of it (click on it to make it bigger). The steak baguette is a particular favourite, lovely with a bit of horseradish sauce.

Evening opening (and Saturdays!)

2009-08-06T20:41:00.004+01:00

From the middle of September, we are going to start to open later into the evening - at first we will be serving hot food until 8pm on Thursday and Friday evenings, and from 12pm to 8pm on Saturdays (hopefully we will be able to open a bit later if we get planning permission). There's going to be a proper grown up evening menu - gourmet burgers, steaks, chips, big salads and some wonderful new desserts, with everything make from fresh ingredients as usual. There will also be some sharing platters and kids portions as well, which will make it a great venue for families looking to eat out. Menus and more details to follow shortly...

Other news: we are going to have a new chef starting any day now (he's just become a dad again so we're not rushing him!) called Adam; he's a great chef with lots of new ideas for the menu. In the meantime, try to enjoy the "summer" as best you can; if it's too wet for the beach or the park we would love to see you in the cafe.

Position now filled

2009-06-29T13:01:00.000+01:00

Vacancy now filled, many thanks to all that applied.

Staff required

2009-05-28T12:06:00.002+01:00

Rowell's leaving... and we're all going to miss him loads. This is going to leave a vacant post to fill in the cafes, so if you fancy applying, have a look at this advert...

Make A Difference!

Project Worker Catering, 39 Hours

£13,436 - £15,146

Innovate Trust supports people with learning disabilities to live valued lives within their communities.

We are looking for a person with cooking experience who can carry out all aspects of running a catering enterprise. You will also be required to assist people with learning disabilities to learn these skills. You will need enthusiasm and initiative to carry out this varied role.

A driving licence is desirable.

An Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau disclosure is required.

The closing date for this position is Monday 8^th June 2009.

For an application pack please e:mail

christine.cousins@innovate-trust.org.uk

Alternatively call Christine on (029) 2039 1951.

If you would like more information about the role, please contact Rob Khoo on 07984421808 or rob@parkviewcafe.org.uk

Please note CVs are not accepted.

INNOVATE TRUST is committed to

becoming an equal opportunities employer

Dragon Coffee

2009-05-27T12:41:00.003+01:00

Many thanks to Robin at Dragon Coffee for supplying us with some rather nice Vietnamese Trung Nguyen coffee beans. There's a website here if you would like to know some more about it.

More Big Lottery cake stuff...

2009-04-25T20:01:00.004+01:00

South Wales Echo Article here, and a BBC news one here.

Big Lottery giant cake!

2009-04-23T13:17:00.003+01:00

Well, it was huge! Innovate Trust and Parkview have been receiving funding from the Big Lottery Fund for the last few years, and they chose us to show to the public how their money is spent on good causes. To publicise this, we had a five foot wide lottery ball themed cake built in the cafe, which was decorated with the help of our trainees. It was a great day, something we'll remember for many years to come! Here's a few pictures...

The sun is out...

2009-03-24T15:30:00.002Z

... and it feels positively spring-like round here. We've had Baltic Cafe renovated in the last couple of weeks if you happen to be in the WCVA building in Cardiff Bay; and the menu has changed again in Parkview (check it out on the menu pages). We're going to be having a bib publicity event for the Big Lottery, who contribute a lot towards the funding of Parkview - this will be happening on Tuesday April 21st in the Cafe (and hopefully outside it as well), with all sorts of stuff (tbc) going on. Lastly, we will be closed for a few days over Easter - Good Friday, Easter Monday, and the following Tuesday. Cheers all!

Park View Restaurant.

2009-02-06T09:53:00.002Z

We're currently in the process of applying for funding from the Big Lottery so that we can open the cafe for longer - in the evenings and on the weekend. Part of our application is getting as many views and opinions from as many people as possible; the more the merrier really! If you would like to be involved in the consultation process, or if you would just like to let us know what you think about these ideas, then we would love to hear from you. You can either speak to Rob in the cafe, or email us on rob@parkviewcafe.org.uk. Cheers!

Winter's here...

2009-02-02T19:37:00.003Z

Well there's snow swirling around outside at the moment... hope everyone is managing to stay warm. Lots of warming winter food on the menu at the moment, our homemade soups are selling by the bucketload! Vanessa has managed to break her ankle falling off her bike on some icy roads, in case you were wondering what we've done with her; hopefully she should be back with us fairly soon. And we've had a new trainee start on Thursday as well, Emma Stokes, so say hello if you see her. And take care on those icy roads!

Happy New Year

2009-01-07T15:50:00.002Z

Happy New Year everyone, we're open again now so it's business as usual. We've got a new member of staff as well, Pam, who is doing a fabulous job. We hope you all had a lovely Christmas and hope to see you in the New Year.

Nearly there...

2008-12-19T13:38:00.003Z

Well, it's been a very Christmas for us; turkey and stuffing everywhere! We had loads of people in for Christmas lunches - thanks to everyone who came down and made us feel all christmassy. We will be open on Christmas eve (but closing early, about 3pm ish), and then reopening on Tuesday January 6th 2009. Merry Christmas everyone, and see you in the New Year.

Christmas Lunches

2008-11-27T21:20:00.002Z

We're currently taking bookings... it's filling up fast though, so get in while you can. We've just taken on a new trainee as well, so a big hello to Gemma, who will be working on Wednesday's with us. And Innovate Trust, who own Parkview, are having their Christmas fair on Saturday December 6th in the Canton Uniting Church on Cowbridge Road East; we'll be providing some lovely homemade soup and turkey and cranberry baguettes.

Painting

2008-11-04T12:37:00.003Z

We've just had the walls in the cafe painted by my old friend Steve, and he's done a smashing job; we can highly recommend him if you need any decorating done. If you need his number pop into the cafe and we'll give it to you. We also added bangers and mash to our daily menu as the weathers getting colder, a proper winter warmer.

Bye Rob!

2008-10-31T12:30:00.002Z

One of our longest serving trainees, Rob Eves, has left for pastures new... he's been with us for about five years and has almost become part of the furniture! Rob should hopefully be starting a new job in Barry in the next few weeks, and we would like to wish him all the best for the future. Cheers Rob!

Social Firms

2008-10-13T18:07:00.002+01:00

We've been made associate members of Social Firms Wales; for more information about what social firms are and what they do, click here.

Breakfast

2008-09-16T17:39:00.005+01:00

Now with added cooked breakfasts...

2008-09-16T13:02:00.002+01:00

The builders have finished... and we're really happy with the way the cafe looks and feels - makes it feel brand new! There's a bit of painting left to do, but we'll get that done out of opening hours so there won't be any more disruption.

In with the new...

2008-09-12T08:29:00.002+01:00

Nearly there...

Out with the old...

2008-09-09T18:20:00.004+01:00

Our crack team of builders (Charles, Phillippa, George and Tim) are ploughing through the renovation work... most of the old stuff is gone, the new flooring starts to go down tomorrow.

Ready for the builders...

2008-09-05T19:45:00.004+01:00

We've moved all the furniture out ready for the builders... it all looks a bit strange, and everyone's getting very excited. If you happen to be passing next week, pop in to have a look if you want, we'll try our best to make you a cup of tea or coffee.

Recycling

2008-08-29T11:59:00.003+01:00

We've just arranged for our recycleables to be collected by the nice people at Recycleitdot.com - we are working on being as environmentally friendly as possible at the cafe, and this is a big step in the right direction.

2008-08-11T19:24:00.003+01:00

A big welcome back to Lee Sheppard, who has just returned to work after taking maternity leave. Hopefully it won't be too much of a shock to her system!

2008-08-07T21:02:00.001+01:00

We're going to be replacing the cafe's flooring in a few weeks with nice shiny new wood - sadly this means that we are going to be closed from Monday September the 8th to Friday September 13th. We will be open for business as usual on the following Monday; we're really sorry for any inconvenience, but it'll be worth it when it's done! If you're passing when the work is being done, pop in and say hello, as we're going to be doing some extra training work out the back... we might even be able to make you a cup of tea.

2008-08-07T20:58:00.002+01:00

Hello and welcome to Parkview Cafe's new website. It's quite an exciting time for us in the Cafe at the moment as we're about to make a quite few changes to the dining area, and we've also got some new menu ideas, and extended opening hours coming up soon as well. So if you're an existing customer, pop over to see what we've done, or if you've never been to Parkview, come on over and see what we do!