A HEREFORDSHIRE café is opening its doors this winter so people can keep warm as the cost of energy soars.

With the cost of gas and electricity at their highest levels ever, the new price cap means that a typical UK household will not spend more than £2,500 a year – but households with high usage will see higher costs.

As fears grow over how people in Herefordshire and the rest of the country will heat their homes this winter, a café in Ledbury is trying to do what it can to help.

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At Pot & Page, a plant-based eatery and bookshop in New Street, Ledbury, owners Nic and Holly Sims will be inviting locals to join them for a bowl of homemade soup for just £1.50 a bowl.

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They say they have started the scheme to encourage local residents struggling in the current climate to come together in a warm space for nutritious food and support.

The team have also started a "pay it forward" initiative where customers can add £1.50 to their bill to pay in advance for someone else to enjoy a hot meal, with hope that even those hit hardest by the cost of living crisis can benefit from the scheme.

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The scheme will run from 3pm until 4pm Wednesday to Friday, but the pair says they will endeavour to help anytime during their opening hours where possible.

Mr Sims said: “We know this winter is going to be a tough one, but we also know that things never feel as hard when we come together as a community.”

Mrs Sims added: “We wanted to find an accessible way to offer a warm, cosy space, a nutritious meal and a listening ear when people may need it most.”

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