A LOCAL couple who bought successful café in a busy South Hams town with support from HSBC UK are offering apprenticeships for young people interested in hospitality.

Husband and wife entrepreneurs John and Sylvia Pollard used an £80,000 funding package from the bank to lease and refurbish The Green Café in Totnes after the previous owners decided to sell the business and retire.

The HSBC UK flexible business loan has supported the purchase of new stock and fixtures, and provided working capital to further the business’s growth following its relaunch this year.

Since acquiring The Green Café, John and Sylvia have taken on four new staff members to support with busy periods.

John said: “My wife Sylvia has been working at The Green Café for the last two years.

“When we heard the café was for sale, we knew it was our opportunity to take on a business she feels so passionately about.

“We managed our own companies in India for many years before returning to the UK, and we knew we’d be able to grow The Green Café into a successful restaurant and put our own stamp on it.

“We’re hoping to hold pop-up events, reshape the menu with an Indian twist, and extend our opening hours over time.

“We also want to give back to our local community by offering apprenticeships for young people who want to get into hospitality.”

Kate Courbet, regional head of business banking direct at HSBC UK, saud: “Supporting local entrepreneurs and helping to facilitate the creation of job roles for people in the surrounding areas is a really rewarding aspect of working for HSBC UK.

“In this instance, we were able to offer an unsecured loan to enable a quick sale so The Green Café could be relaunched as soon as possible.”

The Green Café in Totnes is open for breakfast and lunch six days a week.