Help us work out the future of the Inglesport Café

[Inglesport]

We've been trading since 1977 and next year will be our 50th anniversary.

⁠The café has been part of that for a long time, running quietly in the background for years, and we don't think it always gets the credit it deserves as a genuine community hub.

⁠But we need to be straight with you: the café is under real pressure, and we’re not sure of the best path forward.

⁠The honest picture
⁠Running a small café in a rural village is hard. Staffing is the biggest problem. Finding people who want the work, who are reliable, and who stick around is genuinely difficult. Add to that rising ingredient costs and energy bills that have gone up significantly over the past couple of years, and the numbers are tighter than they've ever been.

10 years ago, we were charging £7 for a Large Cavers albeit including a brew.

We’re now charging £10 excluding brew, but wages have more than doubled (£6.50 minimum wage to £12.21 plus increased NI), food prices have tripled and energy costs have exploded.

The same margins for 2026 would be about £16! Is that a reasonable ask of cavers heading out for a day underground, or would it put people off? I genuinely don't know where the community sits on that.

⁠What we'd like to know. A few honest questions:

• ⁠How much do the Inglesport Café regulars, and those who only make it up occasionally, actually value having it there? Is it a nice-to-have, or something you'd genuinely miss?
• How important is cost? We are fortunate that we don’t rely on the café’s income. As a standalone commercial entity it would have shut a long time ago, but we also can’t run at a loss and small margins indefinitely. That also impacts our ability to pay fair wages.
• Are we missing something obvious: a different opening model, a different offer, something we haven't thought of?
• If you know anyone looking for café or hospitality work in the Ingleton/Yorkshire Dales area, someone who'd actually want to be part of what Inglesport is, please point them our way. That might be the most practical thing that comes out of this thread.
• Any other thoughts, even if they're critical, we'd rather hear them than not.

Cavers and caving is at the heart of everything we do, so we need your input. This is a genuine conversation of discovery. Do cavers still value the café as a meeting point?
⁠
With the 50th anniversary coming up in 2027, it would be a real shame to go into that without the café. But we'd rather have an honest conversation now than let it quietly drift towards a decision nobody planned for.

⁠David, Inglesport

 

[Badlad]

I can understand the problems you've outlined, especially regarding staff and costs. As a regular, I find the cafe a great meeting place before a days caving or digging. It has always been a social hotspot for bumping into other like minded cavers. It would be such a shame to see it go. It is unfortunate that Ingleton has several cafe options for such a small village. Available staff and takings must be spread far too thin. I also fear that traditionally cavers are not the biggest spenders and capturing the waterfall walkers may be more profitable.

I really hope you can find someone with the drive needed to run the cafe going forward and thank you more generally for keeping a hub of caving alive in the centre of Ingleton.

 

[wellyjen]

Our club use it as a meeting point, travelling up from various places for a day of caving and breakfast there, so for us it is useful and appreciated. Another thing to consider are the gear sales that come from cafe patrons and the proportion if those thst might be lost. Perhaps less so from cavers, given how few places there are now to buy caving specific gear, but for other activities, it could be significant. Especially impulse purchases.
Cavers are notorious tightwads, but even we appreciate the cost pressures you are under with wages, NI, food, energy etc.

 

[hannahb]

I would genuinely miss the cafe. In fact I already miss it on the days/times it's not open.

I would rather the cafe remain open and the prices be increased a bit (within reason, I suppose). It's still my first choice in Ingleton.

American-style, or Turkish, or Tex Mex breakfast options might be nice (potatoes, eggs, spicy stuff) but in general what you offer is great, and this is just a random thought I've had.

I really hope you can keep it going but I understand the struggle and how long it has been like that.

 

[caving_fox]

As an occasional (1/month?) WellyFiller eater I do value the Cafe and would miss it's closure. It's very convenient to eat/gearshop in the same location. And a great place to meet up pre/post trip. I do probably buy odd bits of gear just by being there for the cafe - something that will be hard to catch in absolute till numbers.

Advertising and clear communication of open times/menu are vital.

Although cavers are notorious skinflints, I at least, do understand that all costs are rising. Anything <£15 for a full fry-up is reasonable price (at least based on where I live in Manchester). £16 for a Cavers Breakfast+brew is on the upper end but wouldn't put me off. I suspect it would influence some people's choices. Energy prices are unstable, would very much be happy to pay higher prices now, and lower again when the energy costs fall again.

 

[MJenkinson]

I used to meet at the cafe a fair bit (usually meeting caving_fox!) but I am a less frequent visitor these days. I completely sympathise with your comments on cost; times are hard for those on either side of the till. I don't think £15 for a fry up and a brew would seem OTT but again I rarely eat there. I think the last time I tried to meet there, it was before 0900 and you were shut. These days I prefer an early start and reduced fafferage (committments at home so I'd rather get home earlier) so often prefer to meet at the parking spot for the cave. It is a great cafe and I often recommend it to people. I hope you can keep it going.

 

[samh]

I'm a very occasional visitor, but I do value the cafe
As caving_fox says, meeting up with people there before/after a trip also often leads to buying something from the shop.
I wouldn't balk at a breakfast around the ~£15 mark.

 

[paul]

Like others, my club usually meet in the morning at the cafe for breakfast and often pop in post caving for snacks, etc. when we are in the Dales. Regarding cost I can only speak for myself but as long as the cost is reasonable, as the food is excellent, I have no problems with the cost.

 

[davel]

I've just had a look at the menu for Pete's Eats in Llanberis. Their 'Full Welsh Breakfast' (2 sausage, 2 bacon, black pudding, poached eggs, hash browns, mushrooms, tomato, beans, sourdough toast) is £15.75, 'Small Welsh' (Sausage, bacon, egg, hash browns, beans, sourdough toast £10.75, tea (pint) £2.25.

It's a long time since I've been in there though so I don't know how popular it is with the climbing community these days.

 

[Max bowen]

I’d really miss having it. It’s such a good spot to meet and get breakfast before a days caving. Our club meets there before most of our trips and there are usually a few other caving groups there. People also end up spending in the shop as well whenever we’re there

 

[georgenorth]

I’d also really miss it - it’s a fantastic hub for the Dales caving community. Your breakfast price is definitely on the low end, so I wouldn’t begrudge paying more if that meant the cafe was financially viable. The staffing issue seems to be a problem for pretty much all business operating in rural locations sadly.

 

[bagpuss]

I've just had a look at the menu for Pete's Eats in Llanberis. Their 'Full Welsh Breakfast' (2 sausage, 2 bacon, black pudding, poached eggs, hash browns, mushrooms, tomato, beans, sourdough toast) is £15.75, 'Small Welsh' (Sausage, bacon, egg, hash browns, beans, sourdough toast £10.75, tea (pint) £2.25.

It's a long time since I've been in there though so I don't know how popular it is with the climbing community these days.

Not that popular as far as I've heard. It's by name only and has lost all the atmosphere of the original Petes Eats.

 

[Cantclimbtom]

Not that popular as far as I've heard. It's by name only and has lost all the atmosphere of the original Petes Eats.

And that's a cautionary tale... Original Pete's Eats, once famous for climbers, pints of tea, fried breakfasts - it clung to the old model until it couldn't survive gentrification of tourism and rising business rates and operating costs, and shut down. Reopened with new owners in the same name but different model.

Very sensible of Inglesport Cafe to ask this, rather than just continuing until snapping point. Hopefully it can adapt before that point. Although I'm a big fan of the traditional cheap cafe and beans on toast type venues, I'm not sure all of them can continue that way without adapting in some way or adjusting prices.

 

[tim.rose2]

I'm only a very occasional visitor as we live on the South Coast. We make it to the Dales once or twice a year for a few days but always make a point of visiting Inglesport. We were around a couple of weeks ago but only mid week, so although we popped into the shop to buy a few bits couldn't use the cafe this time (which was a pity). Love the food, photos & surveys.

In terms of prices - I'm sure we'd pay whatever you charge as we'd be on holiday and would want to give some support, however as comparison, we have a very successful small cafe at a farm shop a few miles from us we go to from time to time. It's sited on a main road, but other than the farm shop, there's nothing within about a mile, so realistic everyone, including staff are driving to get there. Their large breakfasts are similar and currently £10 + £2 for a cup of tea. They do light meals (stuff like sausage, egg & chips, jacket potatoes, loaded chips) which are all around the £10 mark as well. Staffed by about 5 people. The place is always busy and they're really quick at getting food out/tables turned over, despite this, waiting for a table on a Friday or Saturday morning/lunch isn't uncommon. I appreciate we have a bigger population base locally, but I suspect their success is simply down to the volume of customers. They're definitely not cutting corners on quality or service. I'm afraid the last few times we've used the Inglesport cafe we have noticed how few people were in there, so to me it looks like you need more bums on seats and probably need to look much wider than the caving community to support this.

 

[andrewmcleod]

I'm afraid the last few times we've used the Inglesport cafe we have noticed how few people were in there, so to me it looks like you need more bums on seats and probably need to look much wider than the caving community to support this.

Ingleton has something silly like 7 cafes (number varies as they open and close; there's been a lot of change in the last 5 years), so while there is some volume presumably coming through from waterfall walkers, hikers staying in Ingleton and the (small) general population of the village etc. it's probably a pretty competitive market. Parking, unlike a big farm shop on a main road, can be tricky and it's quite a diversion off the A65 so not likely to pick up many people on their drive to/from work etc.
I'm pretty sure Inglesport isn't relying on cavers for anything (most of the shop is not caving gear because a caving-only shop would probably go out of business in a month), but to me it looks like they do try and support caving despite limited financial incentives.

 

[Chris Curry]

I'd echo all the comments above that paying ~£15 wouldn't put me off for a decent breakfast.

I would say the veggie breakfast is a little basic and could easily be improved - personally I'd steer away from the ultra-processed fake-meat sausages and err towards fried halloumi, avocado, and some greens of some sort. Cafes serving a really decent veggie breakfast (rather than just swapping sausages for fake ones) are few and far between, and groups with a high proportion of veggies and vegans (which is most outdoorsy climbing and caving groups nowadays) will go out of their way to patronise them.

I appreciate it may not be practical, but an earlier opening time, even if just on a Saturday, would make big difference for me. The days when I most want a big hearty breakfast are when going on a long trip, but meeting when you open at 9 and therefore probably not getting underground until 11 would often make such trips very late finishes. Ideally I'd often like to be meeting at a cafe for 8am.

 

[alanw]

Staffing is the biggest problem.

I've just seen this job vacancy on FB: Ingleton Waterfalls Trail is looking for a café assistant Saturdays and school holidays.

Staff are indeed in short supply.

 

[andrewmcleod]

I would say the veggie breakfast is a little basic and could easily be improved - personally I'd steer away from the ultra-processed fake-meat sausages and err towards fried halloumi, avocado, and some greens of some sort.

I actually prefer the ultra-processed fake meat sausages...

I don't think halloumi and avocado will help cut the ingredient costs either :O

 

[Loki]

I would genuinely miss the cafe. In fact I already miss it on the days/times it's not open.

I would rather the cafe remain open and the prices be increased a bit (within reason, I suppose). It's still my first choice in Ingleton.

American-style, or Turkish, or Tex Mex breakfast options might be nice (potatoes, eggs, spicy stuff) but in general what you offer is great, and this is just a random thought I've had.

I really hope you can keep it going but I understand the struggle and how long it has been like that.

I will admit a full English is not really what I want for breakfast. I’d rather a dhal bhat or lamb/beef curry with rice if I was going to pay for breakfast. A large bowl of porridge if I wasn’t doing something too taxing would go down a treat too.
I too would pay more. Include the first brew and make the refills more £! At busy times to clear the tables

 

[zzzzzzed]

A couple of times I've been getting out of my car across the road from Inglesport and a passing walker has asked me if there is a cafe in the village. So a bigger, more prominent CAFE sign might bring in more trade.

My other comment is that it's never open when I want something warm inside me - after caving/walking/climbing. For me you could just be open for a couple of hours in the morning and a couple in the late afternoon. There must be certain times when it's profitable and others when it's not.