The recent Launcells Community Cafe was held on Monday 7th April. It was a cheery event with over 30 guests attending and it was lovely to see some visiting relatives. Both main course options (Curry and Cottage Pie) were popular, as were the tempting homemade desserts. In all, including take away meals, we served over 40 meals and have made a small profit to put towards local charities. 

The next cafe will be held on Monday 2nd June 12.30pm at the Parish Hall in Grimscott. £8 for two courses. 

The main course menu will consist of hot fresh salmon, new potatoes and peas alongside quiche, new potatoes and salad. There will be a vegan option too, plus of course, our usual wide variety of desserts.

Alison Butler

The menu for Community Café on Monday 7th April is as follows: Chicken Curry, vegetable Curry (both with rice and naan bread) alongside Cottage Pie with mixed vegetables. There will be a range of desserts including fruit crumble with custard, 
chocolate gateaux and the always popular Pavlova.

Please note there will NOT be a Community Cafe in May, but light lunches will be served at the Plant sale on Saturday 17th May. 

Alison Butler

Launcells February community cafe was very busy as not only did we welcome 32 guests, including some new faces (always good to see), but the Food Hygiene Inspector from Cornwall County Council paid us a visit too.

After inspecting our premises, training certificates, procedures and the inevitable paperwork, we can happily report that the inspector once again awarded us with five stars.

The menu choices this month included sweet and sour chicken, alongside toad in the hole, followed by our usual range of tempting desserts.

The menu for 3rd March includes: Beef Lasagne, Vegan Pasta Bake, plus Chicken Casserole for the main course, plus Cheesecake, Caramel Crunch and Bread & Butter pudding. £8 for two courses, service begins at 12.30pm, come along and enjoy tasty food alongside good company.

Alison Butler

As we were all still digesting our Christmas Pud, we did not hold a café in January, therefore I do not have a report to write. Instead, I thought I would update everyone about our fund raising and donations.

The café is run by Launcells Village Hall Committee who are responsible for the running and maintenance of the hall, which costs thousands of pounds per year. This is funded in part by rental income, and also by fund raising events such as the bingo evenings. The good news is, our electricity charges will actually reduce in February, thanks to a new two year deal we have secured.

Our café helpers produce the food sometimes at home, and often on the morning of the café in the hall and claim for ingredients only. As we sell the meals, we are subject to an annual food hygiene inspection which requires us to keep detailed records and adhere to government hygiene regulations.

The profits from the cafes are kept aside and when we have a few hundred pounds in the kitty, we meet to discuss which charities and local organisations we can donate to. In the past couple of years, we have donated to the following: MacMillan, Cornwall Air Ambulance, the Bude branch of Cancer Research UK, Bude Sea Pool, Bude First Responders, Bude RNLI and Launcells Playing Field – have you seen the bench there?  In addition, we will shortly be sending money to Launcells Horticultural Show, Launcells Playing Field (again) and Launcells Fireworks. In total the amount is approaching £2000. We are grateful to our customers who support us.

The next café will be on Monday 3rd February at 12.30pm. The main course menu options will be: Sweet and Sour Chicken with rice, Vegan Sweet and Sour with rice and Toad in the Hole with mixed veg. There will also be our usual range of delicious desserts including fruit crumble and pavlova. £8.00 for both courses plus tea/coffee. We hope to see you there!

Alison Butler

Tried and tested dishes were available at the recent café held on Monday 4th November at Launcells Parish Hall. The main course options of Beef Stew with dumplings or Fish pie, were both popular with our guests. We also offered a tasty potato and tomato vegan dish as a third option. 

The variety of dessert options this month were especially popular among the 35 or so guests. The Bread and Butter pudding almost sold out and who cannot resist Sticky Toffee Pudding with homemade toffee sauce, caramel crunch, Raspberry & Cream Meringue Nests or homemade Trifle?

Thank you to all our regular guests who continue to support the monthly cafes, the profits of which help fund the running of the hall, and when funds allow are donated to local charities.
 
Our next Café is the Annual Christmas Lunch to be held on December 2nd at 12.30pm for which bookings are required. £15 per person. Please call Alison on 07753 181660.

Please note that we will set out place names to ensure that people are seated in their friendship groups, so there is no need to arrive early.

Our menu this month included a new item, Steak and Kidney pie, alongside Chicken casserole and a Vegan vegetable casserole, followed as usual by a variety of tempting desserts. All dishes are homemade.

Just under 30 guests attended our recent café, and we were pleased to welcome some new faces who quickly got chatting to some of our regulars. We also served several take-aways, so it was quite a busy event. 

Our next café will be on Monday 4th November. The main courses on offer will be Beef Stew and Dumplings, Fish Pie and a tasty vegan potato topped pie. £8.00 for two courses. 

Our Christmas Lunch will be held on Monday 2nd December at 12.30pm. A traditional Turkey roast dinner with all the trimmings, plus a vegan option, followed by a choice of desserts and mince pies will be on offer.

The price this year is £15.00 and please note that for this event we take bookings. Please message me on 07753-181660 (preferably after 27th October as I will be away) or any other committee member if you would like to attend. 

Alison Butler

The most recent café took place on Monday 2nd September. Delicious lunch options of Chicken Curry, Cottage Pie, Butterbean Curry and Cheesy Vegetable Pie alongside a wonderful variety of desserts were on offer. Around 30 people attended and as usual several meals were taken home to enjoy.

There were also a selection cakes, biscuits and flowers on sale as this was our annual MacMillan charity fundraising event. A grand total of £330 was raised which will be sent direct to MacMillan. 

The next café will be held on Monday 7th October at Launcells Village Hall. The menu will be Steak & Kidney Pie, Chicken Casserole or Vegetable Casserole - along with a range of homemade desserts. Meals are served from 12.30pm, £8 for two courses including tea/coffee/squash. 

Alison Butler

Image text:

Launcells Community Cafe

The next café will be on Monday September 2nd at 12.30pm.The menu will be chicken curry with rice and naan bread, vegan curry and cottage pie along with the usual selection of homemade desserts.  

There will also be cake/bring and buy stall. Do come and support this event as the proceeds will be donated to the MacMillan charity.

Alison Butler

Despite the drizzle, this month’s café was a busy one with over 30 guests and several take aways provided. So good to see our cafe being supported by so many local residents and the opportunity to catch up and have a natter with friends provided a cheerful and convivial atmosphere.

Our menu options of Salmon Steak or Honey & Mustard Chicken, both served with roasted vegetables - a new dish to our repertoire – were very popular with not a scrap left by the end of the session! 

As usual our guests were treated to a delicious array of desserts including Profiteroles, two flavours of Cheesecake, Banoffee Pie and Strawberry Gateaux. All for £8.00 including tea/coffee!

Please note that the next café will be on Monday September 2nd at 12.30pm. The menu will be chicken curry with rice and naan bread, vegan curry and cottage pie along with the usual selection of homemade desserts. There will also be cake/bring and buy stall. Do come and support this event as the proceeds will be donated to the MacMillan charity.

Alison Butler

Cooked from scratch Sweet and Sour Pork alongside Chicken, Ham and Vegetable Pie were the main courses on offer at the June café, held on Monday 3rd June. There was also a vegan Sweet and Sour offering plus a delightful range of popular desserts. A select group of 22 guests attended and with some ordered take aways and helpers, a total of 35 meals were provided.

The next café will be held on Monday July 1st, 12.30pm. The choices for main course will be between Honey and Mustard Chicken or Fresh Salmon; both to be served with roasted vegetables. There will also be a vegetarian/vegan option. Two courses, including tea/coffee £8.

Please note: The proceeds from the following café on September 2nd will be donated to the MacMillan cancer charity

Alison Butler
(Photos:- Sharon Jenkins)

The next community cafe at Launcells Village Hall will be on Monday 3rd June at 12.30pm. The main course menu choices on offer will be Chicken, Ham and Vegetable Pie, Sweet and Sour Pork with rice or Vegan sweet and sour also with rice. As usual there will be a selection of tasty desserts including Pavlova, trifle and cheesecake. Everyone is welcome.

Due to the increasing costs of ingredients we have had to reconsider our prices. From now on main courses will cost £5.50 and desserts £2.50, totalling £8.00 for a two course meal including tea/coffee.

Alison Butler

Although the number of guests was slightly down with 24 people attending, we also served four take away meals and we not only covered our costs but made a significant profit which will go towards our running costs. We provided a choice between beef lasagne and sliced gammon with parsley sauce, alongside a vegan tomato pasta dish.

As usual the desserts, especially the delicious homemade apple pies, proved extremely popular with not a crumb left over!

Please note that due to some of our helpers being away, our next cafe will not be until Monday 3rd June at the usual time of 12.30pm.

Alison Butler

Despite the pouring rain and strong wind, 33 guests attended the March Launcells community cafe. Launcells cafe members welcomed several new faces along with many of our lovely regular customers who we are always pleased to see. The choices on offer were Fish pie, Cottage Pie (both served with vegetables) and Leek & Potato soup, served with cheesy bread.

All our main dishes and desserts, which included Apple Pie and the delicious Pavlova shown in the photo, were home-made. All options received much praise and our new guests said they would like to come to future cafes which is great for us to hear.

Please note that due to Easter, our next cafe will be on Monday 8th April at the usual time of 12.30pm.

The menu will offer a choice between Beef Lasagne, salad and garlic bread, Hot roasted gammon with parsley sauce, potatoes and vegetables, and Vegan tomato pasta dish. There will be a variety of home-made desserts. The cost is £4.50 for the main course and £2.50 for dessert, with complimentary tea/coffee.

Alison Butler

On the menu for the first time this month was Chicken Curry with rice and Nan bread, alongside a regular favourite of classic Beef Stew. Both options were popular with our 29 guests, and including the helpers we served 17 curries and 19 stews.

The main course was followed by a range of hot and cold desserts including two cheesecakes, two fruit pies and jam sponge.

Several guests commented on how tasty the food was and asked us to repeat these options, which of course we will try to do at some stage.

Our next cafe is on Monday 4th March at 12.30pm when the main course choices will be vegetable soup (possibly leek and potato) with bread, cottage pie or fish pie. All home made from scratch, followed by a selection of delicious desserts. Two courses including tea or coffee for £7.

Alison Butler

Monday 4th December saw the final Community Lunch of 2023. The tables were beautifully decorated with holly, crackers, Christmas serviettes and a Christmas chocolate. We had our names on place cards, and there were 2 long tables plus a small table where we sat, which we said was the naughty table for the Hersham gang!

As always, we had an amazing lunch and obviously with it being the Christmas one, we had Roast Turkey with all the trimmings. There was plenty to go around, with over 60 people in the hall plus several portions were taken away, so there were roughly about 70 dinners served. The kitchen worked like clockwork to prepare and serve everybody. I don’t know how they manage it, but it was perfect.

Thanks to Bridgemans of Kilkhampton who donated the potatoes for our lunch!

There was still a bit of room left for dessert and yet again the team came up trumps with their amazing array of desserts. There was Christmas pudding, with a choice of creams or custard, trifles, fresh fruit salad, and cheesecake. After we finished, we had mince pies, After Eights and teas and coffees.

There were also 2 birthdays to celebrate. Mrs Pollard was 94 on the day and Chelsea Tape had just celebrated her 18th birthday. They were both presented with gifts, and everyone sang Happy Birthday to them.

There was also a raffle and surprisingly we won one of the superb prizes. We had a lovely bag full of goodies, including wine, mini crackers, chocolate, and biscuits.

Fiona Hargreaves gave thanks to the committee for all their hard work and dedication. I think the whole of the parish will agree that the committee do an amazing job of organising the Community lunches every month.

We wish them all a very Merry Christmas and hope they have a well-earned rest in January, before it resumes in February.

Sharon Jenkins and Anthony Bishop

With just over 30 guests, the Launcells November café was busier than previous months and a lively cheery atmosphere prevailed. As usual, the dishes on offer – Beef Cobbler, Fish Pie and Minted Pea soup with cheesy bread - were popular. Some keen guests even purchased extra portions to take away.

Two delicious home-made cheesecakes were kindly donated, and along with the ever-popular homemade pavlova and fruit crumbles, provided a tasty choice of options for dessert. As we were short of helpers this month, we forgot to take many photos but we do have a photo of the cobblers being made from scratch. Please note, the wine glass was used for cutting the circles, not drinking!

Our next event will be the annual traditional Christmas Lunch on Monday December 4th at 12.30pm. The cost is £12 per person and booking is essential. Please contact Alison on 07753-181660 to make your reservation.

There will be no Café in January. The first one of 2024 will be on February 5th.

Alison Butler

Just over 20 enthusiastic guests attended the October Community Cafe at Launcells Parish Hall on Monday 2nd October. The main course options were between Chicken and Ham Pie, Vegetable & Tomato pie or Beef Lasagne withgarlic bread, all served with peas.

Several people commented on how tasty the home-made pies were which was lovely to hear. As usual we provided a selection of delicious desserts including Bread and Butter pudding, fruit trifle, fruit crumble, pineapple sponge and an impressive cheesecake which was kindly donated. Most of the leftovers were sold as 'take aways' and the event raised just over £100.

The next cafe will be on Monday 6th November and the main course choices will be Beef Cobbler and Fish Pie, plus a vegetarian option.

Two courses including tea and coffee costs £7. Come along and join us!

The Christmas Lunch will be on Monday 4th December, 12.30pm. The meal will be a traditional turkey roast dinner with all the trimmings, plus fruit juice to start and a selection of desserts which will include Christmas Pudding, all for £12 per person. Booking is essential for this event so please call Alison on 07753 181660 to make your reservation.

Alison Butler

A hot and sunny day didn't deter cafe guests from arriving at Launcells.

Parish Hall on Monday 4th September for the monthly community cafe. Two new main course choices were available: Sweet and Sour Pork with rice (vegetarian option also available), and Toad in the Hole with vegetables and gravy. Pleasingly, both options were popular with the 27 guests who attended.

As usual, the main course was followed by a variety of delicious homemade desserts including cheesecake, trifle, meringues with raspberries & cream, plus fruit strudel with custard.
We had decided that the proceeds from this cafe were to be donated to the MacMillan charity so also set up a homemade cakes and produce table to raise more money. We were delighted to raise £222 on the day which we have increased from our own funds to provide a donation of £250 to this worthwhile charity.

Thank you to everyone who attended, donated ingredients or produce.

Our next cafe will be on Monday October 2nd. Two courses, plus tea/coffee for £7.00.

Alison Butler

It was our turn for a visit by Cornwall County Council’s Food Hygiene inspector on Monday 3rd July. After examining our kitchen, food preparation, hygiene procedures and detailed records we are delighted that we were awarded the full 5 stars. Theinspector was impressed by the amount of good practice being carried out – well done all!

Following this, a very successful community café was held at the Parish Hall when approximately 35 guests enjoyed a choice between Honey & Mustard Chicken or Puff Pastry Plaits. Our selection of delicious desserts can be seen in the photo. A profit of £171 was made after expenses, which will go to the wonderful local First Responders organisation. Anyone who has had the need to call on their services will appreciate what a vital role they fulfil.

We are taking a break over the summer so the next café will be on Monday 4th September. A two course meal costs £7.00 and this includes tea/coffee. Service starts at 12.30pm.

Please note that the café is open to everyone, not just those who reside in Launcells Parish.

Alison Butler

The next Community Lunch will be on Monday 3rd July at 12.30pm.

Menu will include honey and mustard chicken or vegetable savoury plait - both with new potatoes and mixed vegetables, followed by a selection of home-made puddings.

Everyone welcome.

We thank our customers for supporting the café but will be taking a summer break. The next community cafe will be on Monday 4th September, at 12.30pm. The proceeds from this cafe will be donated to the MacMillan charity.

The Community Café usually takes place on the first Monday of each month.  More information can be found in the Launcells Parish News and on the Launcells Community Facebook page.

Another successful community café was held at Launcells Parish Hall in Grimscott on Monday 3rd April when approximately 35 guests enjoyed a choice between Chicken and Vegetable Pie and Macaroni Cheese – another new one for our repertoire - along with a selection of delicious hot and cold desserts. A marvellous profit of £178 was made which will go to a local charity.

Please note that the café is open to everyone, not just those who reside in Launcells.

There will not be a regular café on Monday 1st May as there will be a Coronation Lunch at the Hall on the 8th May at 12.30pm. The menu choices will be ‘Crown Roast Beef Dinner’ (in a large Yorkshire pudding) and Coronation Chicken, Jacket potato and salad, plus a range of desserts. We also cater for vegan and gluten free diets.

To ensure that we can cater for everyone sufficiently, please book places with Alison on 07753-181660.

The Parish Hall Committee are also presenting Coronation Mugs, which are available free of charge, to all children aged 16 and under who live in the Parish of Launcells. They can be collected on Monday 8th May between 2 and 3 pm from the hall. If people are unable to come on that day, let us know (Alison 07753 181660) and we will arrange to deliver them at a later date.

Alison Butler

Our March café was very well attended with a hall full of people and 40 meals being served.

The choice this time was between Cottage Pie and Fishcakes. We added bread and butter pudding to our dessert repertoire and it was so popular the whole dish sold out.  Judging by the clean plates that came back to the kitchen, everyone enjoyed their food. It was an especially sociable event and there was a lively buzz of conversation throughout the session with some new faces and many people were observed chatting to different groups, which was great to see. Unfortunately, we were all too busy chatting to remember to take any photos! After expenses, a healthy profit £164 was made which will be donated to local charities.

Our next café will be on Monday 3rd April at 12.30pm, when the menu choices will be between Chicken & vegetable pie and Macaroni cheese with ham & garlic bread. As usual we will also provide a vegan option and a delicious range of sweets.

On Monday 8th May, we will be holding a Coronation Themed Lunch. Our menu is yet to be decided so look out for more information in the next magazine.

The Village Hall Committee will be providing souvenir Coronation mugs to children (up to & including 16years) who live in the Parish. We have the list of children who received Jubilee mugs, but please let the committee know if there are any other children in the Parish who would like one.

Alison Butler

We held our first cafe of the year on the 6th February which was well attended. Our menu was chicken casserole, beef stew or a vegetable option which was enjoyed by all. The selection of homemade desserts were enjoyed as well.

Look forward to seeing you all at the March café.

On Monday 5th December, Launcells Village Hall was abuzz with anticipation as approximately 50 guests arrived for the annual Christmas lunch. The hall and tables had been decorated for the occasion and Christmas music accompanied the chatter as many friends gathered and found their places.

Guests were offered fruit juice before a full Turkey Roast (plus a vegan option) which was prepared and served by our group of café volunteers. A choice of delicious deserts followed, including of course traditional Christmas pudding. It was pleasing to see some new faces this year. Everyone had a good time and many commented how much they had enjoyed the food (even the sprouts) and the event as a whole.

Well done to all involved and thank you to everyone who supported this and other events at our hall.

Thanks also to Bridgmans who donated the potatoes for the lunch, to Mole Valley Farmers who made a donation and to Stratton Stores who support our events.

Our next community café lunch will be on Monday February 6th at 12.30pm.

Alison Butler

Thanks to Alison Butler and Sandy Cheshire for the photos.

A new recipe of pork in apple and cider proved popular at the November café. Also on offer were tomato soup with fresh crusty bread, a tasty fish pie and tomato & vegetable pie, as well as our usual wide variety of deserts – all homemade from scratch. Approximately 20 guests enjoyed a delicious lunch at a cost of £7 for two courses and tea/coffee.

Many guests took notice of the advert for our Christmas lunch to the extent that we have now sold out! As we will need a rest immediately after the  Christmas festivities, our next café will be on Monday February 6th.

Alison Butler

Here is a photo of a past christmas lunch club dinner......

Here are the lunch club team...