The Waterways | North Drive | Great Yarmouth | NR30 1EQ

View our 2023 menu by clicking here.

The Island café and Boating Lake provides an amazing setting to relax and take in one of Gt Yarmouth’s most beautiful attractions for both locals and tourists alike. Featuring both traditional rowing boats suitable for 4 people and 2 person (and a small child) pedalos there’s also fun and excitement to be had around the boating lake. With indoor and outdoor seating, mouth watering snacks catering for vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free taste buds, amazing Paddy & Scott’s coffee and dairy soft scoop ice creams  – this is the place to be in Great Yarmouth.

And if you’re feeling a little guilty about the extra piece of cake you had and boats are not your best friend then the boating lake has beautiful walkways surrounded by fantastic plants for you to explore. But there’s more. In fact there’s a little secret you may not know. Whenever you purchase something from us you are literally changing people’s lives. The Island café is run by Access Community Trust, a charity supporting social inclusion across Norfolk and Suffolk.

Access works to provide a seamless journey for those who are homeless to be housed, or others in society who are socially isolated, to be given opportunities to train and become employed. As an organisation we primarily achieve this through the running of coffee shops which provide countless work experience and volunteer opportunities to those furthest from employment. Linking in with other work-based projects the coffee shops provide critical training and experience and support people back onto a road of success and future independent living.

You don’t even need to worry about leaving your dog at home either. We’re (well behaved) dog friendly too. There just isn’t a good reason not to visit us. For further information check out our Facebook page or call 01493 738278

Why not take a free audio walk of the historic site via the Echoes app – click here to find out more.

Sams | Bevan St East | Lowestoft | NR32 2AQ

Opening Hours | Mon to Fri – 9am-3pm (Closed Bank Holidays, Christmas Day & New Years Day) Click here to find Sams Lowestoft on Facebook.

Our flagship social enterprise cafe, opened in 2015 and designed by local young people, is located within the former Sam Hooks sports and fishing shop in Bevan Street East.

Since its regeneration from a derelict building damaged by coastal flooding, it has transformed into a real hub of the community, hosting a plethora of regular events including weekly language cafes, youth club sessions, and mindfulness workshops open to all alongside serving delicious food and locally sourced Paddy and Scott’s coffee. Our popular conference room, the Enterprise Lounge, is located above the cafe and available for external hire.

Sams Lowestoft has also been developed into the base for Trust’s enrichment and wellbeing services, as well as our volunteering, training and employment opportunities in the town. The cafe was named Innovation of the Year in Suffolk County Council’s Raising the Bar education awards 2017 in recognition of our range of training, learning and work experience provisions especially for disadvantaged young people.

Our outdoor catering and buffet service options can be view here.

STEAM House | Tanner Street | Thetford | IP24 2BQ

Opening Hours | Monday to Friday – 10.00am-4.00pm (Closed Bank Holidays, Christmas Day & New Years Day) Click here to find STEAM at Thetford on Facebook.

Opened in June 2022, STEAM House cafe is situated below our dedicated employment and wellbeing support hub called The Crossing in the centre of Thetford.

This regeneration took a vacant and derelict space and transformed it into a vibrant relaxed environment for local people to seek or enquire about mental health support for themselves or others, whilst enjoying a drink and something to eat.

As a public café, this project has created a social space in the heart of Thetford, accessible to everyone as a gateway to our suite of services and a positive environment and space for events and activities. It enables a cohesive, happy and supported space for many of our customers and local residents who may be feeling lonely and isolated to socialise and engage with the wider community, helping people to overcome inherent social problems and re-integrating them into their local community.

To find out more about events and activities click here