A Liverpool café is engaging families in a festive pancake-themed scavenger hunt during the Easter holidays by hiding vouchers around local parks. LEAF, located on Smithdown Road, is inviting children to discover ‘free children’s pancake’ tickets hidden throughout the Sefton Park and Smithdown Road area. The initiative runs throughout the school holidays, with the café providing new locations for these vouchers every other morning via their social media channels.
On April 8, participants were informed through the café’s Facebook page about specific hiding spots including a well-known road sign, a tree in Sefton Park, and a lamp post on Penny Lane. The café's post encouraged families to "search for eggs this Easter" and reminded them to keep an eye out for the pancake vouchers.
LEAF has been a significant part of the Liverpool food and drink landscape since it first opened in 2010, branching out from a smaller venue to its current locations. Founded by Natalie Haywood and her brother Graham, the duo aimed to fill a niche in Liverpool's tea scene, which they felt was not being adequately served. Reflecting on the café's beginnings, Natalie mentioned that they sought to create an inviting space for people to enjoy high-quality tea, contrasting it with the prevalent coffee culture at the time.
The expansion of LEAF saw it evolve from a small gallery space called Static to a more prominent venue on Parliament Street in 2008. As the café grew in popularity, it eventually moved to Bold Street in 2010 and added a Smithdown Road location in 2019, with another site opened in West Kirby in 2020. Notably, the café has attracted a diverse clientele, including notable figures from the music industry.
However, earlier this year, LEAF announced the closure of its West Kirby branch due to financial difficulties, describing the challenges facing the industry as "bleaker than ever." Despite this setback, Natalie stressed the viability of their remaining locations, reaffirming their commitment to the Bold Street and Smithdown venues. She highlighted the loyal customer base and mentioned, "Smithdown is a smaller site to manage and Bold Street continues to be our best," ensuring patrons that it was "business as usual."
As the café launches this inventive pancake hunt, it remains a unique and familiar fixture in Liverpool's vibrant food scene, inviting families to participate in a blend of tradition and community engagement this Easter.
Source: Noah Wire Services