Bolton Library's new Café Crescent to open this week

The new Café Crescent, named after its home in Le Mans Crescent, will be open to the public on Friday in Bolton Central Library.

It will be run by David Bellis, who already runs the Turton Tower Woodland Café, and opens after the £3.7million library refurbishment project. 

Bolton Council cabinet member for culture Cllr Nadeem Ayub said: “Having a brand-new café in the town centre is the perfect complement to the refurbished library.

A range of food and drink options will be on offer (Image: Bolton Council)

“As well as providing a locally sourced menu, it will be a welcoming meeting space for residents and visitors in a remarkable, cultural setting.

“The perfect place to wind down after a visit to the new library, the much-loved museum and aquarium or a workshop in the new Build A Business area.”

The Central Library renovations was financed by the government’s Towns Fund, which finds projects like this all around the country.

The café is part of a major library refurbishment project (Image: Bolton Council)

The Towns Fund has financed projects like a food hall extension to Bolton Market, the creation of Elizabeth Park and redevelopment work around Ashburner Street.

It has also funded the ongoing work to transform the Wellsprings building into an “innovation hub” for new businesses.

The project was first announced in the autumn of 2022, with library services moved to a temporary home in the former New Look in Crompton Place while works took place.

New seating has been installed (Image: Bolton Council)

As well as the café, new floors, mezzanine staircases and shelving has also been installed in the remade library.

The new Crescent Café will be run by David Bellis, who already runs the Turton Tower Woodland Café.

Council officials say that the menus will offer a wide range of snacks, meals and cakes with both hot and cold drinks.

Visitors will be welcome soon (Image: Bolton Council)

The range will be designed to appeal across the whole community, with as much produce as possible sourced from Bolton providers.

The food will be cooked on the premises and will includes vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free and other options with a selection of teas, fair trade filter coffee, soft drinks, juices and specials.

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Lunch options will include sandwiches, paninis, jacket potatoes, soups, salads and a daily pot meal, while desserts and pastries will also be available throughout the day.

The café will also offer toast, teacakes, scones, fresh fruit, cookies, flapjack bars, chocolate and crisps along with finger sandwiches, scones with jam and cream and choices of cakes or pastry.

Works have been underway at the library (Image: Joel Fildes)

The café will be open from 9am to 7.30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursday, 9.30am to 5.30pm on Wednesdays, 9am to 5.30pm on Fridays, 9am to 5pm on Saturdays and 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

The Crescent Café will be officially unveiled on Friday January 19 with a family fun day to follow at the library on Saturday January 20 between 11am and 3pm.