It’s often said that the best ideas come when you’re in the pub, and that’s definitely the case when it comes to New Inn Court’s Roam Café.
Opened in autumn 2026, the idea for the ‘global’ café came about when a group of former colleagues from a Leeds advertising and marketing agency gathered for drinks in a pub at Calls Landing.
One of them, Emma Woodford, originally from Aylesbury but now a fully fledged Otlensian, had been mooting the idea of opening an eatery for a while. A keen cyclist, she’d long been on the hunt for somewhere serving tasty, healthy food throughout the day – somewhere comfortable enough to kick off her cycling shoes, relax and refuel with friends.
As the group discussed the idea over drinks, one of them, Rob Wardale, slowly but surely got drawn in, despite originally having no thoughts of becoming part-owner of a café. He was intrigued by Emma’s concept and, with his ‘brand’ head on allied to a former career in bars and music venues, slowly came round to seeing its potential in a crowded market.
With both Emma and Rob onboard, the pair were keen to bring international flavours from their travels to a menu focused on globally inspired breakfasts, brunches and lunches – and so the concept of Roam, “food from all over”, was born.
With an idea and brand concept firmly in place, their next challenge was finding the right venue – and that was solved when the former kitchens of much-loved Otley bakery Teale’s, opening onto New Inn Court, became available.
A summer of renovation followed before they opened to the public in September 2026, quickly building a reputation for good coffee, sweet treats and baked goods, as well as a small but well-crafted menu, with breakfast and brunch dishes drawn from different countries while the lunch menu changes monthly.
Despite the menu’s global inspiration, much of the food is sourced locally, with familiar names from Otley’s high-street butchers and bakers appearing on the menu, helping Roam retain firmly local roots.
Roam’s changing menu means there is always something new to try, while the emphasis on local suppliers keeps it firmly grounded in Otley. For the former ad agency colleagues that balance of looking outwards but staying true to their roots is very much the point.
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