Rachel Blackie, owner of the successful Witney home bakery Roo’s Kitchen, is taking over operations of the Waterside Cafe at Farmoor Reservoir from Monday.
After over a decade of teaching, Rachel decided to follow her passion for baking by starting Roo’s Kitchen.
“I can’t wait for Monday and the chance to become part of the Farmoor community”
Two years later, the idea of running her own cafe began to grow, but she waited until finding the perfect location, and when she set eyes on the cafe at the reservoir, home to Oxford Sailing Club, Rachel instantly fell in love with the space.
“I always had this café dream in mind for my business, but it felt like one of those far-off things.
“And then, out of the blue, the Oxford Sailing Club was on the hunt for a new manager, just when I was thinking about it. It’s pretty surreal standing here, looking at what’s going to be my café, with one of the most beautiful views in all of Oxford,” Rachel says.
The rebranded cafe will focus on high-quality, fresh ingredients and local produce whenever possible with coffee from Dark Horse Coffee, eggs from Mayfield Eggs, and breads from The Natural Bread Company.
All baked goods will be made in-house by Rachel and her team.
The menu will feature brunch, lunch, sandwiches, salads, cakes, and daily specials. Over the coming weeks Rachel also plans to give the space a colourful, plant-filled makeover to create a warm, welcoming environment.
“I want the cafe to become a true community hub, open to both visitors and members,” she says.
“So I can’t wait for Monday and the chance to become part of the Farmoor community,” Rachel adds.
With unbeatable views of the water, Rachel also looks forward to hosting evening pop-up events once up and running.
Watch this space for more updates and reviews.
