Slimmer opens up healthy-eating cafe after losing weight

HEALTHY eating has come to a village as a new cafe has been opened by a woman who changed her life through a better eating.
By The Newsroom
Published 28th Dec 2016, 06:00 BST
Updated 29th Dec 2016, 15:23 BST
From left, Carley Andrews, Pauline Knight, MP Caroline Dinenage, Kathy Wingate and Natalie Smith Picture: Habibur Rahman (161560)From left, Carley Andrews, Pauline Knight, MP Caroline Dinenage, Kathy Wingate and Natalie Smith Picture: Habibur Rahman (161560)
From left, Carley Andrews, Pauline Knight, MP Caroline Dinenage, Kathy Wingate and Natalie Smith Picture: Habibur Rahman (161560)

Kathy’s has opened its doors in Stubbington and is bringing delicious home-made food and cakes to its customers.

The business is the brainchild of Kathy Wingate, who lives in Stubbington with her husband Daniel, 40, and 17-year-old son James.

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The former dental nurse was inspired to change her life after the death of Neale Calver – her boss at Stubbington Green Dental Practice – from cancer in September 2013.

Kathy, 38, said: ‘He was my boss but he was my best friend. He was only 50 years old. It was very sad. I have changed my life since then.

‘The loss inspired me to do something. I have lost eight-and-half stone through Slimming World and I have totally changed my career.

‘I kept saying to my husband that I’d love to have a cafe of my own and he said “let’s go for it”.

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‘Now I have won two awards for my healthy eating options at my Eastleigh cafe in 11 months and I have turned my life around.

‘When the opportunity came up for the cafe in Stubbington, I jumped at it.’

Kathy opened her first cafe in High Street, Eastleigh last year. The cafe now employs four members of staff and Kathy hopes it’s a formula that can grow.

She took inspiration for her healthy menu from her sister Carole Harris, who runs a Slimming World group in Portchester and who helped her lose weight, which amazingly saw her drop to her now petite size from a size 22.

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Although the cafe cannot sell any official Slimming World products due to licensing, it does offer healthy options such as salads, jacket potatoes, cottage pies, healthy breakfasts and cakes and bubble and squeak.

Kathy’s Stubbington cafe, which also employs four people including her teenage son, opened earlier this month after months of renovation and it has already been received well.

Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage officially opened the store.

The cafe used to be the News & Booze shop and it took a lot of hard work to transform it into the chic cafe it is today.

Kathy said: ‘It has taken a lot of time to get it just right. I wanted it to look friendly and inviting.’

Kathy said she was particularly proud of the cafe’s ‘spotless’ bathroom.

‘Everyone comments on it,’ she said.

The cafe is open Monday to Saturday. For more details call 01329 600639.

Related topics:Caroline Dinenage