Not-for-profit restaurant closes in Corby

A not-for-profit restaurant that recently opened in Corby has taken the decision to close.

Soupa Salads CIC, which was based in The Cons in Cottingham Road, created warming soups and vibrant healthy salads.

The business opened on Monday, March 6, this year.

It opened with the aim of providing food for families or individuals who are struggling to feed themselves while also minimising wastage and remaining eco-friendly.

They offered low cost meals and also supported people who use the services provided by Corby Foodbank, anyone who had a referral/voucher for the food bank could book a table at the restaurant and eat for free.

Soupa Salads also offered free home cooked food for Corby's homeless community on the days that they were open.

But due to rising costs, it is no longer feasible for the business to continue operating to the general public.

An emotional post was put out on their Facebook page, last week (August 23). It read: “I am putting up a very sad post.

“We have made a very difficult decision to close the restaurant. We will be open today and Friday and will still be honouring our catering bookings and any further private catering bookings but the Wednesday and Fridays will no longer be open from next week.

“It costs a lot of money to run a business, especially a business that has a charitable aspect and we do a lot of work for free but as a mother and a wife it is not feasible for me to continue to pay to run the business.

“I have really enjoyed running the business and I welcome any private catering requests or dinners or functions.

“Thank you to all who have supported me too xx.

“I hope to see you over the next couple of days.

“Shona Soupa Salads xx”

Shona Lomas, who operated the business, does intend to continue with the charitable activities, but Soupa Salads will no longer be open to the general public and will no longer be based out of The Cons.

Shona said: “It can change really quickly, your situation, it’s really depressing. I gave it a go and you can only try, can’t you.

“There were families that came in, lovely families, and you could just see that they appreciated the free meals, it’s just a shame that that’s not going to be there really.

“We’re still looking at opening an actual soup kitchen with the Corby Foodbank and doing any sort of support work we can do catering wise, so it’s not going to be closing completely just yet.

“We’ll see how that side of things goes, and run it that way but it’s just not open to the public anymore.”

In the near future, Shona plans to work in conjunction with Corby Foodbank and Citizens Advice, making home cooking videos as well as offering employment coaching.