How The Apex is supporting West Suffolk businesses and jobs

01 Jun 2026

A council run venue that brought its catering back in-house, is expanding its list of West Suffolk suppliers, keeping food fresh while also earning top marks for hygiene.

The Apex in Bury St Edmunds is a cultural and community venue serving residents and attracting visitors from across West Suffolk and beyond.

West Suffolk Council which runs The Apex, made the decision not to renew a catering contract at the beginning of the year but to instead work with and support local food and drink suppliers.

It opened The Apex Coffee House which has now achieved a five-star food hygiene rating, the highest level possible, for its food storage, handling, preparation and cleanliness.

Meanwhile, its list of suppliers across West Suffolk, also with five-star hygiene ratings, has now grown and includes:

• The Friendly Loaf - artisan bakery in Nowton which supplies fruit and cheese scones (Parmesan and Gruyere), plain and onion marmalade sausage rolls using Sausage meat from Musks of Newmarket, tray bakes of brownies, bakewells, and flapjacks.
• Gee Gee Bakes in Horringer which supplies individual cakes.
• Roff Caterers in Bury St Edmunds which caters for corporate events.
• Thomas Ridley in Bury St Edmunds supplies milk, cleaning supplies, snacks and more.

Cllr Cliff Waterman, Leader of West Suffolk Council, said: “The Apex is a wonderful venue serving community groups and putting on a spectacular array of entertainment that is enjoyed by residents from across West Suffolk as well as visitors to our area. So, I am delighted that local businesses are now part of that success story. Through working with local suppliers, we are supporting West Suffolk jobs and businesses in line with the council’s strategic priority for sustainable growth. And by using locally supplied produce and ingredients, we are keeping food fresh which is better for our residents and visitors and better for our environment as well.”

Cllr Ian Shipp, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture, said: “Since making this decision to bring our catering back in house, we have received some tremendous support and feedback. That includes compliments from local businesses after we catered for their events at The Apex. It’s fantastic to be working with local suppliers who have helped us achieve this success. We look forward to building on this and growing our offer to our customers at The Apex.”

Cllr Gerald Kelly, Cabinet Member for Environment and Regulatory, said: “Our commercial environmental health service carries out food hygiene inspections at businesses across the district. The ratings system serves to protect the safety of customers so they can enjoy a meal without the risks of food poisoning and supports good business practice. It is great news that The Apex Coffee House has achieved the highest rating at its first attempt.”

The Apex Coffee House is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 4pm and on Sundays from 10am to 4pm.

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