Two world champions open Cotswold visitor attraction’s new café
Two world champions gave a glowing endorsement of a Cotswold wildlife park’s new café today
England World Cup winner Phil Vickery unveiled a The Nest Kitchen and Café at Birdland, which is home to another champion in Spike, who was voted the World’s Most Popular Penguin earlier this year.
Birdland general manager Simon Cox said: “We’re thrilled Phil came along to cut the ribbon on our brand-new café, which will add a fantastic extra dimension to the visitor experience.
“Both he and Spike are top of the class in their respective fields and we aim to be just that at Birdland. The newly-renovated café and a new Changing Places facility are great examples of how we continue to improve and evolve as a visitor attraction.”
Vickery, a former front row favourite at Gloucester, has forged a foodie career since retiring from rugby after winning Celebrity Masterchef in 2011.
The 47-year-old, a former England captain who played for Gloucester for 11 years, now works for food service company Creed, which will supply the café with a mouthwatering selection of hot and cold options.
There will be a daily selection of sandwiches and salads or for something warmer during the winter months, there is the chance to load your choice of potato or rice with tasty toppings including pulled pork, beef chilli or halloumi.
The café was not the only innovation to be revealed at Birdland today. The Bourton-on-the-Water attraction has also created a Changing Places facility, a fully accessible toilet to help visitors with limited mobility.
Last year the Penguin Shore enclosure underwent a dramatic redesign. It is home to Birdland’s resident celebrity, Spike the King Penguin.
The 16-year-old star won the title of Most Popular Penguin in the World earlier this year, which was revealed exclusively live on BBC programme The One Show. His subsequent coronation ceremony was then reported on by BBC 5 Live radio presenter Colin Murray, who is a big fan of the park. Spike now has more than 18,000 Facebook followers.
The Park’s magical combination of wildlife, woodland, riverside and gardens makes it the perfect day out during the six-week recess.
Among the exciting schedule of daily entertainments are penguin, pelican and flamingo feeding displays, where visitors can find out all about the different species, what they like to eat, who is the most mischievous of the flock and fascinating insights from Birdland’s team of expert keepers.
The Nest Kitchen and Café officially opened today (Thurs, Dec 7) and there will be a special 10 per cent discount this weekend to mark the occasion.
Explore Gloucestershire
7 December 2023
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