Jobs boost as new businesses open in Padiham

The Fat Giraffe cafe is to re-open, creating up to 12 new jobs, and the former Cornerhouse Cafe is to become a new hair and beauty salon. The award-winning Fat Giraffe closed its doors three years ago when the owners decided to move on and focus on different parts of their lives. But they retained ownership of the Church Street property and the lease has now been taken over by Clare Starbuck who is set to re-launch the cafe.

Clare said: “After looking at a variety of properties across Lancashire I felt that this was the ideal location. I decided to keep the name because it had such a great reputation and we plan to re-open as a cafe and deli by day and a bistro two evenings week with a late licence for occasional events.

“It is a tall order to live up to the reputation the Fat Giraffe had before but we aim to try. I will be using all locally sourced produce and we are planning to launch our own coffee range too.’’

Awards won by the Fat Giraffe included a Catering for Health gold award and Best Tourism Newcomer award.

A self confessed “foodie’’ Clare, who lives in Darwen, studied hotel management at Nelson and Colne College and she has several years experience in catering and hotel management. She will be taking on a qualified chef and two apprentices plus other staff to run the business which will also include a take-away.

An open day tomorrow marks the launch of the Bliss beauty salon in the former Cornerhouse Cafe at the bottom of Moor Lane which closed its doors suddenly several weeks ago.

Beauty therapist Bekki Hall-Smith is branching out on her own at the age of 20. Since qualiifying at Blackburn College Bekki has rented a room at a Burnley salon before deciding it was time to start working for herself. Offering the full range of hair and beauty treatments, Bekki is a former pupil of Padiham Primary School and the former St Hilda’s RC High School, Burnley. A hairdresser will work alongside Bekki with beauty therapists and she plans to hold monthly clinics offering treatments not readily available in the area.

Bekki, who lives in Burnley, said: “There has been a lot of work to do to get the premises ready but I have received a lot of support from family and friends.’’

The open day will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and there will b a raffle with a chance to win a £50 voucher and also a fund raising raffle for Pendleside Hospice.