Cafe Concession - Kielder Castle

Forestry England are seeking an organisation to operate the Café Concession at Kielder Castle. The operator will be required to serve hot and cold food and beverages to members of the public visiting Kielder Forest. Kielder Water & Forest Park is the largest Forestry England landholding at 62,500 hectares of forest, with the overall area attracting an estimated 500,000 visits per year from the north England, south Scotland and further afield. The Kielder Castle Café is located within the ground floor of Kielder Castle. The Café will have indoor seating capacity for approximately 60 covers and an area of outdoor seating to the front of the castle. Indoor covers are split between the main café area and the additional seating area, both fall part of the lease boundary. Currently we anticipate the lease period being 10 years in duration, the lease Heads of Terms will be available in the tender documents which we expect to be published March/April 2026. The total value of the lease opportunity over the term is expected to be in the region of £3,000,000 We are seeking an operator to commence the lease from Summer 2026 with the concession opening to the public late Summer/ early Autumn 2026 subject to the completion of the refurbishment works and operator fit out.