Spark York has led the way with creating profitable businesses inside shipping containers – and now York Minster is following the trend.
The Dean and Chapter of the cathedral wants to open a Christmas café outside the Minster inside a shipping container.
According to plans in with City of York Council, it would run from 22 November to 5 January, as part of York Minster’s Advent and Christmas season.
“The converted shipping container and its immediate surroundings will be dressed for Christmas, host a pop-up Christmas café and connect York Minster to the city’s wider Christmas market offering,” a planning statement says.
“It will support the Minster and the city in its key Christmas offer and builds on the success of previous, family friendly, seasonal offers in the Minster Precinct.”
It would be sited in front of the South Quire Aisle, on the lawned area where previous Christmas pop-ups have opened.
“The pop-up Christmas café will be a unique experience to the Christmas Market audience and York residents and follows the example of other major English and European cathedral cities whose precincts play an active role in their respective Christmas markets.
“The pop-up Christmas cafe will be operated by York Minster Refectory and will sell Nordic style Christmas take-away hot and cold drinks, refreshments and snacks.”
It would open from 9am to 5pm, but there would be no seating. Instead café-goers are expected to go to Minster Gardens.
“Minster Gardens is a relatively newly-opened park with ample seating, recycling bins and a water fountain, it has been popular over summer with families taking advantage of the temporary seating and sculptures installed in partnership with York BID,” the statement says.
Entrance to the café area would be via an opening in the railings next to the Constantine statue.
Given that the shipping container will be next to a world famous historic building, great consideration has been given to its location and impact, the Minster authorities say.
“The proposed site deliberately tucks the container into a defined area of Minster Yard resulting in no impact on the views from Duncombe Place and very limited views from Deangate,” the York Minster works department states.
“The temporary structure will sit comfortably within the space and will not disturb the below ground archaeology. The sheer scale of the South Quire Aisle will continue to dominant the view and draw the eye upwards.”
You can read and comment on the application here.