Val McDermid officially reopens CaféLife!

Celebrated local author cut the ribbon to officially welcome everyone back

Today Val McDermid officially reopened the revamped CaféLife, our community cafe on Cheyne Street.  Dubbed the Queen of Crime, the author has sold over 17 million books to date across the globe and is translated into more than 40 languages.Val met with café customers and fans to sign copies of her books brought along on the day.   

"Every community should have a resource like CaféLife. We’re lucky to have it. The LifeCare centre, and all the vital services provided by the charity, help support serious issues such as isolation and loneliness. I'm proud to be supporting LifeCare in it's important work" 

Val McDermid

All proceeds from our café sales go towards the LifeCare’s vital care services for older people living across Edinburgh. The pandemic forced the café to close its doors to our loyal sit-in customers in March 2020.  We know that the closure was a real loss to the area as CaféLife is the only fully-accessible community café around, offering good value food and drink appealing to all generations and with lots of space for buggies and wheelchairs. 

Opened nearly ten years ago, the team took the opportunity to upgrade the café through the Covid-closure. We secured emergency funding to revamp CaféLife’s interiors and the kitchen team have spent time creating a new and improved menu to appeal to all tastes and dietary needs.  

CaféLife will be running a series of promotions throughout coming months to celebrate the reopening and to welcome everyone back.

Find out more about CaféLife