Business

Santander International is to open a Santander Work Café in the Isle of Man at Old Market Hall, Douglas, next year.

The bank will partner with Noa Bakehouse to develop a café, meeting, events, and co-working space in the iconic building.

Noa Bakehouse will continue to run its popular café from the site, adding a new, grab-and-go menu for the meeting rooms and co-working areas, and a selection of artisanal food and drinks.

The Work Café will offer free bookable meeting rooms, and accessible co-working spaces with free Wi-Fi, alongside new banking facilities. Customers will be able to meet banking staff in the building, open and manage accounts and mortgages, and withdraw money using ATMs.

James Geldart, Managing Director, Isle of Man, said: ‘We’re looking forward to working with Noa Bakehouse to bring a Santander Work Café to the Isle of Man community. The Work Café will be accessible and open to all the community, creating a vibrant new hub for freelancers to work, entrepreneurs to meet, and for everyone to enjoy great food, drinks, and events. Pippa and Miles have a strong ethos for innovation and bring an amazing energy to the partnership.’

Since the launch of the first Santander Work Café in Chile in 2016, the bank has opened more than 100 Work Cafes around the world, including branches in Leeds and Jersey.

Noa, which means ‘fresh’ in Manx, was set up as a sourdough bakery by Pippa and Miles Pettit nearly 10 years ago. It has expanded into patisserie, coffee roasting, and hospitality while maintaining its focus on sustainable produce, procured through Direct Trade, or made in the Isle of Man.

Pippa Pettit, Co-owner, Noa Bakehouse, said: ‘This is an exciting project for us, and for the Isle of Man, building on the popularity of Noa and taking the Market Hall into the 21st century. The Work Café will allow us to go beyond brunch and scale up our business to bring Islanders a wider range of locally produced artisanal food and drinks.’

The the new Santander Work Café opening mid-2023.

A commitment by the Eastern District Joint Civic Amenity Site Committee to enhanced waste reduction and recycling has been celebrated at a ground-breaking ceremony.

Officers and politicians from all five authorities – Douglas, Onchan, Braddan, Santon and Garff - attended the event on the site of what will be the Island’s new £3 million Eastern Civic Amenity site at Middle Park in Braddan.

Designed to take waste and recycling, the facility is being built after the Committee confirmed the current operation in Pulrose, which is used by over half the Island’s population, is at maximum capacity.

Councillor Natalie Byron, a member of the Civic Amenity Site Committee, said: ‘The project demonstrates our commitment and the commitment of our friends in neighbouring authorities to waste reduction and recycling, and to establishing and maintaining innovative waste management infrastructure to protect the Island’s environment and society.

‘It is extremely positive to be in a position where we can officially mark the start of the construction of a development which will serve as a fine replacement for the existing amenity facility and be used by residents in Douglas, Onchan, Braddan, Santon and Garff.’

It will provide for the disposal of domestic waste and recycling, and will include improved features to those currently provided - a vehicle weighbridge, site office, re-use shed, skips and parking facilities.