Bluebell Cafe will open for takeaway service on Saturday 22 March 2025 and then fully open for eat-in from Tuesday 25 March 2025. This marks the first in a series of steps to improve facilities in and around the visitor centre.
Derbyshire-based catering business Blueberry has modernised the cafe space at the centre, off Slack Lane, Heanor, and will be open weekdays from 9.30am to 4pm and at weekends from 8.30am to 5pm.
Located next to the main car park, Bluebell Cafe will be offering a range of homemade food and refreshments with a takeaway service available, as well outdoor and indoor seating.
Blueberry brings a wealth of experience of running cafes in countryside locations elsewhere in Derbyshire – in Castleton, Miller's Dale and Parsley Hay as well as in Matlock and Chesterfield – and dog-lovers will be pleased to know that four-legged friends will be welcome in the cafe too.
Co-owner of Blueberry James Shawe said:
“Shipley Country Park is a beautiful place and we’re excited to open up and show people what we’ve done with the cafe space.
“We’re a friendly, small family business and we’re looking forward to meeting everyone and providing visitors with great homemade food and refreshments.”
Councillor Carolyn Renwick, our Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment, said:
“Bluebell Cafe is a wonderful addition to the park along with Barefeet Lodge Tea Rooms, which opened up in the Shipley Hill area of the park in November.
“With more than 700 acres of beautiful countryside to explore, Shipley Country Park is a great spot to explore with the kids, walk the dog or meet up with friends and we look forward to seeing more visitors enjoy all the park has to offer.”
As well as the cafe, the visitor centre has been reconfigured to provide a bigger and better events space which is available to book by contacting Shipley Visitor Centre.
And the visitor centre shop, which is currently closed for essential maintenance, will also reopen on Saturday 22 March 2025 with a new look and feel, offering visitors the opportunity to browse a selection of gifts and souvenirs – and of course pick up a pack of those all-important dog poo bags if they’re running low!
Find more information about Shipley Country Park.