A new independent café has officially opened its doors in the Healthy Living Centre in Staveley – further boosting facilities for sports centre customers and residents.

The new outlet – called the ‘Coffee Stop’ – has been created on the ground floor of the Chesterfield Borough Council-owned leisure centre.

It is open seven days a week – serving a variety of hot and cold drinks, snacks and meals, and provides a new social place for sports centre customers, and members of the public, to meet-up.

Councillor Steve Lismore, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “This independent café is a great new addition to our centre, and comes just weeks after the newly-refurbished gym was unveiled, boasting a range of state-of-the-art fitness equipment.

“Going to the gym, a fitness class or watching your child’s swimming lesson can be as much about socialising and making new connections, as it is about exercising – and the Coffee Stop provides the perfect place to meet up or enjoy a post-workout refreshment.

“We are delighted to welcome this local business into our centre, and we wish them great success.”

The council had offered the opportunity for a leaseholder to take space in the ground floor of the centre on Barlow Road as part of its plans to both improve local facilities, but to also make the best use of its buildings.

Neil and Maria Butkeraitis, co-owners of the Coffee Stop and who also operate the popular café at Poolsbrook Country Park, said: “We’re so excited to open our doors in the Healthy Living Centre and bring even more facilities for people to enjoy in this hub of the community.

“We’ve already got a great family of customers at our café in Poolsbrook Country Park, and we hope everyone will love the opportunity to enjoy our relaxing atmosphere and tasty menu in this additional new venue.

“We’ve been working hard to get everything ready, and to recruit some new team members – and we look forward to seeing customers old and new in our new home!”

The café is open from 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday, from 8am to 5pm on Saturdays and 9am to 5pm on Sundays, serving a variety of hot and cold drinks, snacks and meals, including vegan and gluten-free options.

Visit http://www.coffeestopcafe.com/ for more information and to view the menu.