Preston Pantry Celebrates First Birthday

A MONTHLY bistro at a very sheltered housing development in East Lothian has celebrated its first birthday after raising a phenomenal £4,500 in its inaugural year.

Preston Pantry was set up at Bield’s Johnny Moat Place to give tenants, their friends and families, the chance to enjoy a restaurant style meal in a relaxed and comfortable setting.

The monthly dementia-friendly bistro has proved such a success that there have been an additional 12 pop-up events, including afternoon teas and a charity evening which raised an incredible £1,100 for local causes.

Katrina Cunningham, Manager at Johnny Moat Place, said, “We are so pleased that Preston Pantry has become such a hit with our tenants and their families.

“This was a project I had been looking to do for a few years and it is great to see how it has grown – the past year has just been fantastic. The team have worked so hard and the bistro wouldn’t be possible without them.”

“It’s been great to see tenants and people from across the local community making bookings.”

“We hope the initiative continues to grow with more success and we’re hoping for another great year.”

In celebration of their first anniversary the Pantry was fully decorated in birthday banners and decorations for a party which included birthday cake and an entertainer.”

While the service is designed for those living with dementia in mind, Preston Pantry welcomes anyone from the local community to come and eat.

The monthly Pantries are grant-funded by the Scottish Government’s People and Communities Fund and the additional pop-up Pantries by the Cruden Foundation.

Providing a safe and familiar atmosphere for dining out, Preston Pantry embodies Bield’s ‘Free to Be’ ethos which seeks to enable all their tenants to live their lives in the way they choose as much as possible.

Other restaurants like the Preston Pantry have proved popular at other Bield developments, with a handful now open across Scotland with plans for more still.