An Isle of Wight coffee company’s plans are reaching boiling point as it looks to invest in its future at Newport Harbour, creating a visitor centre ‘destination’.
It comes as the Isle of Wight council approves the Isle of Wight Espresso Company as a ‘special purchaser’ of its current home at Blackhouse Quay on the River Medina, for £315,000.
Based on the harbourside since 1990
The coffee company — which runs Caffe Isola on Upper St James’ Street — has been based on the harbourside since 1990, leasing its warehouses from the authority, but is now looking towards the future.
After a full refurbishment of its buildings, the company is looking to improve its coffee roasting and processing facility as well as creating a cafe, visitor centre and accredited barista training centre.
Further down the line, once the warehouses have been refurbished, the company is also looking at providing pontoons on the river.
Investment in the premises
Due to a significant level of investment needed in the warehouses, and the potential to do more with the site, the coffee company asked to buy the space from the Isle of Wight council.
Sean Newtown, corporate services manager, said the coffee company hope to make it more of a tourist attraction and a destination and highlighted the money from the sale of the site would be ringfenced specifically for Newport Harbour.
Other features
As well as the warehouses, the business would also take on some woodland between the Cowes to Newport cycleway and the River Medina, creating seating areas and pathways, subject to the right permissions.
The Isle of Wight council’s Harbour Committee approved the purchase option at its meeting last week.
The proposals from the coffee company is outside the parts of Newport Harbour which are earmarked for regeneration and the council said it would be complementary to the larger plans.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
