New community café and bike workshop is open

Tuesday, October 1, 2019 - 09:48

We’re proud supporters of this fantastic project 


Handlebar Café, Winchester’s highly anticipated community project, is open for business after its official launch on Sunday 29 September.  

The new community café and bike workshop is the brainchild of a group of local teenagers. Working with Hampshire–based charity SPUD, they designed a bicycle café on the old railway track at the bottom of St Catherine’s Hill, Winchester. 

After extraordinary support from local businesses, individuals and the local authorities, over £350,000 was raised to turn the concept in to a reality.  

Paul Cleary, Director at Elliotts attended the launch event to see the Elliotts-supplied materials come to life: 

“This is such a fantastic project to get involved in and we’re delighted to have supported this through supplying a range of materials in the build, from underground drainage to aggregates – even the kitchen sink!” 


The five local teenagers that helped develop the innovative and sustainable design have now completed or about to start architecture at university. 

Mark Drury, Director at award-winning arts charity, SPUD said: 

“The support from local authorities, local businesses and individuals has been truly incredible and without it we could not have reached this point. SPUD believes passionately in enabling young people to make an active role in their community and make a real difference."



The Handlebar Café is open 8:30 – 5:30, 7 days a week. Find out more here.  




Picture credits: Julia Conway, Pulse8