Blackpool eatery Rose's Cafe blasts neighbour Cafe@264 for offering cheaper breakfasts and meals because of its charity backing

Renata Brzozowska and husband Artur Brzozowski, from Rose's Cafe on Dickson Road, have served a range of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks there for almost five years, and say they try to keep their prices down.

But they claim that The Cafe@264, which is located across the road and a couple of blocks away on the same road, charges such low rates they can’t compete.

That cafe is run by homeless charity the Ashley Foundation, who initially set up a partnership with food charity FareShare which makes use of surplus supermarket food that would otherwise be discarded.

Through the charity’s volunteering programme, the cafe was aimed at provide support for “those who are lonely, isolated or struggling to access opportunities.”

The charity previously said its aim was to “foster community engagement and create a project with a long lasting legacy for our local neighbourhood and to those who are most socially excluded in society."

The cafe, which is no longer working with FareShare, offers various hot meals which are a little cheaper across the board than those at Rose’s Cafe.

Renata says the couple assumed The Cafe@264 would be would be a welcome haven for homeless customers and those struggling on low incomes, but she claims it has become a magnet for holidaymakers and a much broader trade which is taking away custom from their own business.

She said: “This is not a small business like ours, trying to survive, it is run by a charity in a way that it can afford to offer really low prices.

"It does not seem to be dedicated only to help those struggling, which would be good, but to just offer cheaper food to everyone.

"We just don’t think it is fair to be able to operate like that, when we can never compete. It has a charity behind it.

"We are known for our breakfasts but we cannot afford to offer ours so low.”

The Cafe@264 is a popular eatery which has received good reviews, staffed by people who have been helped by the charity.

For its biggest breakfast, it can offer a Mega Monty (4 bacon, 4 sausage, 2 eggs,2 hash browns beans, mushrooms, tomato and toast) for £7.95 with a serving of tea for 90 pence and regular coffee at £1

Smaller versions of breakfast – the Full Monty is at £5.85 and the Half Monty at £4.65. – are also available.

By comparison, according to prices on its shop door, Rose’s Belly Buster breakfast (3 bacon, 3 sausage, 2 eggs, beans, tomato, mushroom, hash brown and two toast with butter) will cost £8.50, with tea and regular coffee at £1.50

The Ashley Foundation, which also runs homeless hostels in Blackpool, was contacted for a response.