Science & nature · Evidence-backed
Queen's Wood Cafe: A Tranquil Community Garden and Cafe in Highgate
Nestled in the ancient woodland of Queen's Wood in Highgate, London, Queen's Wood Cafe is a community cafe and permaculture garden dedicated to environmental preservation and community enrichment. It offers a tranquil escape with homemade food, a vibrant garden, and a range of events and activities.
Queen's Wood Cafe is a community-run cafe and permaculture garden in Highgate, London, offering homemade food, a vibrant volunteer-maintained garden, and a peaceful woodland setting.
Community cafe and permaculture garden
Queen's Wood Cafe is a community cafe and permaculture garden dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of the local environment. It aims to enrich visitors' lives with wholesome, homemade food, fresh pastries, and a tranquil place to relax. The garden is a living, vibrant space that grows fruit and vegetables organically, with much of the produce used in the cafe's dishes.
Homemade food and fresh pastries
The cafe offers an enticing range of wholesome, homemade food, with pastries baked fresh daily. The menu includes freshly made pastries, sandwiches, salads, and other healthy dishes. Visitors can enjoy breakfast and lunch in the cafe, the outdoor area, or the lovely garden, and take-away options are also available.
Award-winning community garden
The community garden behind the cafe is run by Vicky Chown and a team of dedicated volunteers. It has won top prizes in the Haringey In Bloom competition in 2016 and 2015, and two top prizes for Best Community Garden and Best (overall group) in Attracting Wildlife & Biodiversity in 2014. The garden's excellent condition contributed to Queen's Wood being awarded a Green Flag.
Volunteer-run garden
The garden is maintained by volunteers on Mondays and Thursdays from 10am to 2pm. Volunteers can learn food-growing skills, and no previous experience is necessary. The garden also holds workshops on food growing and compost making for schools and other groups, and offers corporate team-building days.
Sustainable features and aquaponics
The garden demonstrates cutting-edge urban food growing, including a fully working aquaponics system, advanced composting, a wildlife pond, and provision for butterflies, birds, and other wildlife. The cafe building itself features advanced insulation, double glazing, and solar panels, all installed in keeping with the architectural ethos of the building.
Historic building renovation
The cafe is housed in a historically important public building that was saved from destruction and renovated. The project received a Community Action award from the Empty Homes Agency for the 'best use of an empty building in the UK in the year 2000'. The renovation was financed by a Lottery Fund grant and was self-financing, costing no rate-payers' money.
Location and opening hours
Queen's Wood Cafe is located at 42 Muswell Hill Road, Highgate, N10 3JP. It is open Monday to Sunday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Visitors can contact the cafe by phone at 020 3084 2028 or by email at info@queenswoodcafe.org.
Events and cultural activities
The cafe hosts and encourages a variety of cultural events, promoting visual arts, poetry, and music. It also offers a therapy cabin and children's activities, making it a vibrant community resource. The cafe's events page provides details on upcoming activities.
Cafe and cabin hire for events
The cafe and cabin can be hired for evening parties, such as birthdays or anniversaries, for up to 60 people. The venue can be hired from 6:30 pm, with guests required to vacate by midnight. The staff serve and take care of guests, and the cafe can provide a bespoke catering service for parties.
Bar and drinks service
For events, the cafe can sell wines, beers, prosecco, and champagne by the bottle, and can order specific wines, including organic and fair trade options. A wide selection of fruit juices, including orange, apple, and cranberry juice, as well as still and sparkling water, is available at the bar. Cocktails can also be provided on request.
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