Rayne Booking Hall Café officially owned by proud family

The Booking Hall Café in Rayne, located in the former Rayne Station along the Flitch Way, is now fully owned by Grace Meehan and her husband Joshua, who have leased and operated the café from the council for the past 12 years.

Seventeen years ago, Grace’s parents Robert and Sarah Branch operated the café after Mr Branch would regularly walk along the Flitch and wish there was somewhere to stop for a cup of tea.

After her parents retired to France, Grace, 37, and Joshua, 36, took over operations – and now the purchase of the café marks a significant milestone for the family and the business.

Owners - Grace and Joshua Meehan officially own the Booking Hall Café after more than a decade of running it (Image: Claudia Bradley, Newsquest)

“It’s been such a massive part of our lives for so long,” Grace said. “We are here for the community, and we’ve been part of this community now for the last 17 years.

“We’ve had a lot of dreams that we’ve wanted to do with the place but haven’t really been able to. I think this now is just a really exciting chapter for us – it’s being able to make it ours.”

With Grace’s family background in hospitality and Joshua’s experience as a chef, their original vision for the Booking Hall Café has expanded into a thriving community hub, while their reach extends beyond the village with their catering company Bert and Mee and Café Plaza in Great Notley.

In Rayne, new tables and chairs and a pergola have been installed on the platform, while the historic station’s façade has been lovingly preserved.

The team is largely made up of people from the village or nearby, including long time staff member Tricia Laudrum, who is retiring in September after more than 16 years.

“We couldn't do what we do without them,” Grace said.

Team - Tricia Laudrum will retire this year after 16 years of working with Grace and Joshua (Image: Booking Hall Café)

They’ve seen regular customers have children, who have grown up to become staff members at the café working on weekends.

Grace and Joshua’s nine-year-old son, Zachary, has also become a familiar face at the café, helping to keep things tidy and enjoying shouting out orders at the top of his lungs.

“It’s been about an overall love of life being here, and getting to know people through those years that you still know to this day,” Grace said.

Plans for the future include more community events, from tabletop sales to the revival of Rayne Festival, all designed to make the café a welcoming centre in the heart of Rayne.

Historic - The former Rayne Station opened in 1869 and closed to regular passenger traffic in 1952, with the line then remaining open for freight until 1964 (Image: Booking Hall Café)

Display - A railway carriage featuring displays and a miniature railway is maintained by the Friends of the Flitch Way (Image: Booking Hall Café)

But the family also take pride in the café’s past. Next to the platform, a railway carriage featuring displays and a miniature railway is maintained by the Friends of the Flitch Way, a charity dedicated to preserving the history of the former rail line and the historic Flitch Way trail.

Joshua said: “The Flitch Way is great for exercising and community events, but you’ve also got the historic element of having the charity that look after the place and all the history that comes with that, which has to be honoured in a building like this.”

“If you’re in the village, we just want everyone else to be as proud of it as we are,” Grace said.

“It’s really nice to know that we’re going to be here for the next 12 years and hopefully a lot longer as well.”