Lichfield District Council’s rural fund gives boost to city catering company

Funding granted by Lichfield District Council is helping a city catering business expand its operation with the creation of a restaurant.

Richard Cummins, Managing Director of Westwoods Bespoke Dining is preparing to open a new restaurant, The Potting Shed, in this building at the Plant Plot on Lichfield’s A51 Western Bypass. Work is progressing on the building and it is being equipped with a grant from the Rural England Prosperity Fund. Richard is pictured with Councillor Janice Silvester-Hall, Lichfield District Council’s Cabinet Member for Visitor Economy, Ecology and Climate Change.

Westwoods Bespoke Dining made an application last spring for a Rural England Prosperity Fund grant after LDC secured £200,000 from the Government.

The funding was available to support micro or small businesses and fund equipment to enable greener, low carbon farming and the conversion of farm buildings for other commercial uses.

Westwoods Bespoke Dining, which offers catering services, is using the grant to help fit out and equip a new restaurant space at The Plant Plot, on the A51 Western Bypass in Lichfield.

Opening this spring The Potting Shed Restaurant will be able to accommodate 20 diners, offering a fine dining experience; an 8-course tasting menu changing monthly and based on local and seasonal produce.

Richard Cummins, Managing Director of Westwoods Bespoke Dining, said: “Like many small businesses we managed to survive the Covid-19 lockdown through fast adaptation and sheer hard work but since emerging the other side we found it incredibly hard to access finances from any of the usual avenues to expand the business in the way we wanted. Decisions were still based on a period where we, like every other hospitality business were closed.

“After 9 years of delivering bespoke events around the UK the natural next step was to have somewhere to do that on a more regular basis for individual couples and we managed to secure most of the funding ourselves but access to the Rural England Prosperity Fund grant has enabled us to begin at a much higher level than we had originally hoped.

“We have been able to use bespoke products and services from other local businesses like Arthur Price and Lichfield Furniture Co which supports them as well as us. This is what The Potting Shed project is all about, supporting and promoting the amazing farmers, suppliers and producers in Lichfield, Staffordshire and our surrounding counties.”

Mr Cummins said the grant has also enabled his business make use of more cost effective greener technology helping to protect the environment.

Councillor Janice Silvester-Hall, Lichfield District Council’s Cabinet Member for Visitor Economy, Ecology and Climate Change, said: “I’m delighted that we have been able to deliver a Rural England Prosperity Fund grant to Westwoods Bespoke Dining. The money has helped the business establish a great restaurant space and I wish them every success.

“The full allocation of £200,000 has been granted to a total of eight projects to support the growth of farming businesses and the creation of new or improvement of existing rural hospitality venues. It’s great to be able to support brilliant local small businesses.”

Lichfield District Council supports businesses and community groups in accessing sources of funding. For more details visit Community and business funding.

For more information about Westwoods Bespoke Dining, visit westwoodsofstaffordshire.com.