A local independently ran eatery has joined forces with one of the UK’s newest retailers, Ultimate Outdoors.

Directors of The Interesting Eating Company on Allerton Road in Liverpool, Nichola Lee and Andrea Edwards, have secured an impressive contract with the JD Sport’s outdoor division at Deepdale Retail & Shopping Park in Preston, to provide an in-house coffee shop and eatery.

Ultimate Café offers an array of innovative beverages and fresh food, including the eatery’s signature pancakes, and is ‘100% in line with The Interesting Eating Company’s great food and service ethos’. The team want to bring ‘great food to the high street’, having seen a gap in the market between coffee shops and restaurants.

Nichola said:

“We are thrilled to be working together with such a prominent UK retailer. Our original plans for a company expansion were to step up from the suburban high street and open up a city centre venture. However, we reviewed our strategy and decided to approach Ultimate Outdoors, as they were planning the launch of their new store concept and wanted a coffee shop. We beat off stiff competition from national brands and secured the contract.”

Nichola and Andrea’s aim is to now deliver a truly unique coffee shop and eatery experience that offers a more personable approach to shoppers. After undertaking lengthy research into customer’s eating and shopping habits – the duo are certain that the Ultimate Café will have a great public response.

Andrea added:

“Our menus are adapted to correspond to the venue, however many of our all-time favourites still play a prominent role. For example, there is a large presence of gluten free dishes and we are still known for providing the best pancakes around!

“Furthermore, as we are now working with a major national retailer, it’s a fantastic opportunity for us to represent the best of what small independents have to offer.”

The affiliation between the small local business and the corporate giant has created12 new jobs.