A soft opening at Friday evening’s Witney Jazz Club night, allowed a small audience to experience the newly installed bar and coffee shop in the Corn Exchange.
Cllr Mel Jones, Chair of the Halls, Cemeteries and Allotments committee said,
“I am thrilled that we are now able to offer a bar in the Corn Exchange. This is a great new advantage for the hall and those wanting to use it. Well done to all that worked so hard to get it up and running.”
Named 1863 after the year the Corn Exchange was built, the bar was installed during the shut down of the public hall for 6 months during the Covid -19 pandemic and was a welcome addition to the facilities when the doors reopened. The bar is currently only available to customers attending events and other hall users but will be open to all as soon as possible.
Cllr Owen Collins, Chair of the Corn Exchange Working Party, who was at the Jazz night added,
“I’m absolutely delighted that Bar 1863 is now up and running – not only does it look beautiful aesthetically, but it will add so much to the Corn Exchange for hirers and visitors alike. The bar made its debut during a typically-terrific evening from Witney Jazz, and I’m pleased to say that like the musicians, it struck exactly the right note, and went down a storm.
The installation of the new bar and coffee shop is just the first step on the journey to a complete revitalisation of the Corn Exchange, turning this iconic building back into a thriving, vibrant arts centre for the whole community, and beyond!”
