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Food and friendship at Bramley’s pop up restaurant

Ever thought the pop up restaurant phenomenon was just for trendy young folk and hipsters?

Well, a pop up restaurant in Bramley is making waves among the older generation – and itā€™s all a result of people giving up their time to volunteer.

Bramley lad David Bennett, a former chef for Marco Pierre-White at Ilkleyā€™s prestigious Box Tree restaurant, now volunteers to help run the restaurant night for older people at Bramley Lawn.

The award winning chef, 41, said:

ā€œIā€™ve lived here nearly all my life, apart from a time when I went down to London to work. I started out at Thomas Danby, so Leeds is where my roots are.

ā€œThere arenā€™t really any restaurants inā€ˆBramley – thereā€™s a massive gap in the market and thatā€™s where the idea came from.ā€

Bramley restaurant night
Pop-up restaurant: Diners enjoying their food at Bramley Lawn. Photo: Bramley Elderly Action

David, who is also well known forĀ  running the Sunshine Bakery inā€ˆChapel Allerton, says the events are aimed at older people and their families/friends.

He added:

ā€œWe found Saturday was the loneliest night of the week for a lot of older people as their families are out doing other things, so we bring people together so no-one has to eat alone.

ā€œIf you run a restaurant, youā€™re usually booking twos, fours or sixes, whereas with this weā€™re often booking ones.

ā€œWe make sure all the tables are shared so everyone gets to socialise – thatā€™s one of the most pleasurable things, getting people out of an empty house on a Saturday night when theyā€™d just be watching TV.ā€

The restaurant evenings are held once a month on Saturday evenings at Bramley Lawn, which is managed by Bramley Elderly Action.

Guests are invited to eat together at shared tables, and the event is open to all ages. The meal is ā€˜pay what you decideā€™ so no-one has to go worry about cost.

Davidā€™s partner in food is Bramley Elderly Actionā€™s (BEA) operationsĀ Ā  manager Fran Graham. BEA aims toĀ  improve the quality of later life for people in Bramley, Swinnow and Stanningley.

Next restaurant dates are October 17 and November 28. For more information, to volunteer or to book a place, contact Fran Graham on 07815 790189.

A full version of this feature can be found in the first edition of the Dispatch newspaper, out this week.

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