Gloucestershire businesswoman gifts eatery to National Star

We’re thrilled to share the news that local businesswoman Linda Jones has gifted her successful Cheltenham eatery to National Star.

The Pepper Crescent café bistro, owned and founded by Linda, has earned a reputation for fabulous food, great service and outstanding staff development, winning a number of awards over recent years. Linda has given Pepper Crescent to National Star and The Wiggly Worm charity.

The eatery, in Royal Crescent, will become known as StarBistro at Pepper Crescent. Current staff will remain with the business, and Linda will work with us and The Wiggly Worm over the coming months to ensure a smooth handover of the existing operation, which also includes event hospitality and a ‘food to go’ menu.

Linda and her husband Steve Jones have been involved in many community projects and have supported National Star for some years. They also recently discovered the work of The Wiggly Worm, which works with vulnerable and disadvantaged people, using the preparation and sharing of food as a practical way to improve life chances, gain skills and achieve outcomes.

‘StarBistro has shown that the ethos of social enterprise works and can compete with anyone. I think my current clients and the town as a whole will embrace what we are doing and how we are doing it,’ said Linda.

Staff development and training has been a central part of Pepper Crescent’s success and Linda wants that to continue.

‘I am passionate about high quality food created and delivered by people with a desire to learn. My mantra is “achievement is enjoying doing your best” and too many catering establishments don’t provide the right environment for people to develop. The world of food is a great place to express yourself, build confidence and develop new skills,’ she said.

‘Rather than sell the business and risk seeing what I have created fall short of everything I believe in, I am delighted to know that my passion for developing people will be taken to a new level and what we deliver will be continued by my team, under the guidance of Rob Rees, who founded The Wiggly Worm, his great staff and National Star. It ticks all the boxes for me.’

David Ellis, Chief Executive of National Star, said: ‘Thanks to Linda’s incredible gift, The Wiggly Worm and National Star can now expand the StarBistro concept and work with more people who need the support and training that we can provide.’

Rob Rees said: ‘The Wiggly Worm is a charity with quality, ethics and a social return at its core. I’m delighted to be working in partnership with National Star to increase work related opportunities for vulnerable people and offer quality products for our customers.’