SCULPTURE by the Lakes near Dorchester has opened its own café in collaboration with award winning Yalbury Cottage owner and head chef Jamie Jones.

The Gallery Café, situated in the current gallery space, offers visitors to the park a relaxed, informal venue where, with Jamie’s extensive experience and expert cooking, they will be able to enjoy a locally sourced, freshly prepared, seasonal menu.

Customers can eat in the café or outside in a newly created garden seating area. Or they can take one of the picnic baskets provided, fill it up with the café’s culinary delights and enjoy it wherever they choose in the beautiful surroundings of the sculpture park (picnic blankets are provided).

The café will also stock a wide variety of teas from Dorset Herbal Teas and hot chocolate, alongside Dorset Coast Apple Juice, Jurassic Spring Water, Dorset Brewing Company Beers, Purbeck Cider

and locally sourced wine from The Dorset Wine Company.

The menu will use local suppliers such as South West Garlic, The Wasabi Company and include delicious sandwich boxes, fresh salads, soups, homemade breads, patisseries and Purbeck Ice Cream.

There will be an emphasis on sustainability with a recycle centre located behind the café and recyclable wooden cutlery, paper cups, sandwich and cardboard bento boxes, re-usable earthenware crockery and re-usable picnic baskets.

Simon Gudgeon, owner of Sculpture by the Lakes near Dorchester said: “Providing a café is something we always planned to do and we’re so happy that Jamie Jones from Yalbury Cottage is behind the venture.

“We know that the café will enhance the visitor experience, allowing them to stay longer and enjoy the beautiful surroundings and artwork even more.”

During the summer, the café will be open from 10am to 4pm, Tuesday to Sunday, closed Mondays, and in winter it will be closed Sundays as well as Mondays alongside the sculpture park opening hours.

Picnics will be able to be pre-booked, so on arrival visitors will simply collect a ready-made picnic basket and head to their

Described as one of Britain’s most beautiful and unique sculpture parks, Sculpture by the Lakes at Pallington is set amongst 26 acres of Dorset’s finest countryside.