A community cafe with a recovery heart
Way out on the far reaches of Mill Road, something amazing is happening. The latest addition to Cambridge’s café culture The Edge was only born in November, and it’s doors couldn’t be more open, its welcome any warmer.
In an increasingly gentrified town, The Edge Café is more than just another cool pop-up stop for a hot espresso. The vision was to create a community café with a recovery heart – a vibrant space open to the everyone, but also a hub which people in recovery from substance misuse can relaunch a life through. All the coppers for your coffee go back into making this happen, and it’s already working. Everything in the café, from the home-made cakes to the upcycled furniture is crafted by someone who’s turned their life around, and is supporting others to do the same.
This kind of heart and soul is the café’s bread and butter. If you’re feeling especially flush, you can Pay It Forward – put a coffee in the pot so it’s on the house for a stranger. All the specials are made of donations from FareShare – a group that redistributes fresh food otherwise destined for waste to communities that need it.
Any veg from this the kitchen doesn’t use is free to a good home. For everything else, local independent companies are used where possible. These are the tiny revolutions we need; random acts of kindness making the world that bit lovelier.
If you’re looking for something to do, there’s plenty of creative happenings to get on board with, from pilates groups and knitting groups to art groups. All events are free of charge and open to all.
Acoustic music and film nights are also in the works, abundant venues for which are keenly missed in Cambridge.
So next time you’re down Mill Road, keep walking and you might find something special. The Edge is just a few steps away.
The Edge Café is located at Brookfields site, 351 Mill Road. Opening times are Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.
