VEGETARIAN quiches, tarts, cakes and coffee will help raise funds for an eco-farming project in South Oxford.

Hogacre Common’s fundraising summer cafe opened on Sunday and will run every Sunday for the rest of the summer.

At the helm is Janey Davies, 28, a part-time diabetes nurse turned chef who said she “absolutely” backs the project’s ethos.

Miss Davies, who lives in Cowley, was just starting up her own catering business when she found out Hogacre was looking for someone just like her.

She held a stall for her business at South Oxford Farmers’ Market, at South Oxford Community Centre, when she met some people from the project.

Now she is running the cafe every Sunday from 11am to 5pm and which helps to raise funds for Hogacre.

Miss Davies said: “I was brought up in Wales and my mum tries to be as self- sufficient as possible so we always ate seasonal vegetables.

“We want to help raise awareness of the Hogacre eco-park and use as many local or well-sourced products as we can.”

In fact, her mum even leant her a hand on the cafe’s opening day.

She is planning to create her vegetarian masterpieces using vegetables grown at Hogacre on the site’s Oxgrow community allotment where possible.

She also plans to serve coffee which is roasted in Witney using locally-sourced oak.

Hogacre Common describes itself as Oxford’s community eco-park.

It was established in 2010 when West Oxford Community Renewables leased an unused sports ground from Corpus Christi College at a peppercorn rent of a jar of honey a year.

Hogacre Common Eco Park Community Interest Company (HCEPCIC) was set up to manage the land and to work with locals to develop the ecopark.

It now has an orchard, a community garden and acres of hazel coppice as well as the cafe. The site is always looking for volunteers to help run its cafe and classes.

To find out more, go to hogacrecommon.org.uk

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