First Serve Café

First Serve Café Community café at Old Town Recreation Ground

A little old-school look for a brand-new week ☕️🍂This photo might look like it’s been sitting in an album for the last 4...
14/09/2026

A little old-school look for a brand-new week ☕️🍂

This photo might look like it’s been sitting in an album for the last 40 years, but First Serve Café is very much ready for a fresh new week!

The tables are set, the coffee machine is warming up and we’re ready to welcome you through the doors. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, coffee and cake, or simply somewhere to sit for a while, we’d love to see you.

With autumn starting to creep in, there’s something rather lovely about a cosy café, a hot drink and nowhere you need to rush off to. 🤎

We’re open 9am–4pm every day.

Here’s to a new week, plenty of coffee and hopefully lots of familiar faces along the way. ☕️

☕🍂 We’ve been doing a little detective work at First Serve Café… 🍂☕Since the schools went back, we’ve been keeping a clo...
13/09/2026

☕🍂 We’ve been doing a little detective work at First Serve Café… 🍂☕

Since the schools went back, we’ve been keeping a close eye on when you lovely lot are actually visiting us.

Breakfast? Busy.
Coffee time? Absolutely.
Lunch? Definitely.
Cake o’clock? Very much alive. 🍰

But once we creep into the later afternoon, the café starts looking suspiciously peaceful… 👀😂

So rather than us standing behind the counter at 4:45pm having deep conversations with the coffee machine, we’re tweaking things slightly.

⏰ Our new opening hours are 9am–4pm, every day.

You’ll still have seven days a week to join us for breakfast, lunch, coffee, cake, a catch-up with friends, a dog walk pit stop, something tasty after a trip to the park or simply a few minutes of peace with a decent cuppa. ☕🥓🍔🍰🐾

Being a small independent family-run café means we can react to what’s actually happening rather than sticking rigidly to hours that no longer make sense. As the seasons change, so do people’s routines, and we’d much rather focus our time and energy on the hours when the café is buzzing.

And don’t worry, when the longer days and warmer weather eventually make their grand return, we’ll keep reviewing things again. ☀️

For now, our autumn rhythm is nice and simple:

MONDAY–SUNDAY
9AM–4PM

Thank you, as always, for supporting First Serve Café. Every coffee, breakfast, lunch, slice of cake and recommendation really does help keep a small local business going. 💚

Now we just need to work out what to do with ourselves after 4pm… 😂

🍔🎾 THE GRAND SLAM BURGER 🎾🍔One of our favourites at First Serve Café, and this one definitely isn’t for the faint-hearte...
13/09/2026

🍔🎾 THE GRAND SLAM BURGER 🎾🍔

One of our favourites at First Serve Café, and this one definitely isn’t for the faint-hearted! 😍

A juicy 6oz steak burger, topped with crispy bacon, melted cheese, onion chutney and a golden hash brown, all stacked into a toasted brioche bun.

Big, indulgent and packed with flavour, it’s the perfect excuse to treat yourself whether you’ve just come off court, finished a walk around the Rec, or simply fancy a seriously good burger.

And of course, it wouldn’t be First Serve without the little tennis-ball finishing touch 🎾

Available now at First Serve Café.

Who would you trust to take on the Grand Slam Burger with you? Tag them below 👇🍔

🍂 The café is having a little seasonal glow-up… ☕🎃You may have noticed things are starting to look a little different at...
11/09/2026

🍂 The café is having a little seasonal glow-up… ☕🎃

You may have noticed things are starting to look a little different at First Serve Café.

Summer might still be clinging on by its fingertips, but inside the café we’ve started easing ourselves into autumn mode… and we’re rather enjoying it. 🍁

The leaves are appearing, the warm lights are on, the pumpkins have moved in and even our windows are getting the autumn treatment. There’s something about this time of year that makes a hot coffee, a cosy corner and a catch-up feel even better. ☕✨

We always want the café to feel welcoming rather than just somewhere you pop in, grab something and disappear. So throughout the year we love changing little bits of the space, adding seasonal touches and giving you something new to spot when you visit.

And this is only the beginning… 👀

Over the next few weeks, expect more autumn colour, more cosy touches and plenty of warming food and drink as the days get shorter and jumper weather properly arrives. 🍂🧣

So whether you’re coming in after the school run, meeting a friend for coffee, escaping the weather or simply need a slice of cake and ten minutes of peace, the autumn version of First Serve Café is officially taking shape.

Personally, we think coffee tastes approximately 37% better surrounded by tiny glowing maple leaves. We have absolutely no scientific evidence for this. 😂☕

Come and have a look next time you’re in. 🍁

🔥 JUST OUT OF THE OVEN… 🔥There are few things better than the smell of freshly baked scones drifting through the café, a...
09/09/2026

🔥 JUST OUT OF THE OVEN… 🔥

There are few things better than the smell of freshly baked scones drifting through the café, and today’s batch is looking particularly dangerous to anyone who planned on “just having a coffee” 👀

Our homemade fruit scones have just come out of the oven, golden on top, soft and fluffy inside, and packed with juicy fruit. Perfect with a cuppa, even better with a generous helping of jam and cream. And yes, we’ll politely stay out of the jam-first or cream-first debate. 😂

They’re freshly baked, still wonderfully warm, and ready for their moment in the spotlight. ☕️🍓

Pop into First Serve Café at Old Town Rec and grab one while they’re at their freshest. The only real problem is resisting the temptation to order a second…

Freshly baked. Properly comforting. Very hard to walk past. 🤤

☕💛 CHATTY CAFE TODAY • 10AMWe spotted a lovely piece on BBC News yesterday about the difference a simple conversation ca...
08/09/2026

☕💛 CHATTY CAFE TODAY • 10AM

We spotted a lovely piece on BBC News yesterday about the difference a simple conversation can make.

The article, “Widow says Chatty Cafe trips with strangers are a lifesaver”, really sums up why schemes like Chatty Café matter. Sometimes sitting down with someone new, having a coffee and simply having a chat can make a much bigger difference than we realise.

That’s exactly what our Chatty Table at First Serve Café is here for. No booking, no pressure and you certainly don’t need to know anyone beforehand. Just come along, grab a drink and join the conversation. ☕🫶

📍 First Serve Café, Old Town Recreation Ground
🕙 TODAY from 10am

Everyone is welcome. Come on your own or bring someone with you.

BBC article:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y4g6r4x8no?app-referrer=deep-link

06/09/2026

Making a real difference to the community

IT started off as a small community project - but a whopping £40,000 has now been invested into Old Town Recreation Ground.

The facilities were poor and very tired - then in stepped Craig Wells and the Old Town Hub CIC.

It has been a huge success - and the public absolutely love it, not just those who live locally in Old Town.

Craig said: "We have created spaces that the whole community can enjoy.
"This investment has included major improvements to the tennis courts and the restoration of the former changing rooms, which now provide a thriving community café and refurbished public toilets, available to recreation ground visitors at no additional charge.
"We have also created and maintained flower beds outside the café.
"The work has received wider recognition through multiple LTA Parks Awards.

"Aside from the Council, Old Town Hub CIC is now the largest financial contributor to the recreation ground."

Craig says the future is looking bright:

"We continue to explore funding opportunities and develop projects across the recreation ground.

"Our purpose has never been simply to operate the tennis courts or café. It is to protect, improve and invest in Old Town Recreation Ground as a whole, helping to create a more welcoming, active and sustainable community space for today and for future generations."

fans Bournefree Magazine Eastbourne Unltd Chamber of Commerce Eastbourne Borough FC

05/09/2026

Sun’s out, and the energy at the rec today is unmatched! ☀️

If you needed a sign to get outside and get moving, this is it. The entire ground is packed with pure weekend momentum:

* 🎾 On the Courts: Tennis drills are in full flow—rackets pinging, footwork locked in, and coaches sharpening up those backhands under the sunshine.

* ⚽ On the Pitch: Football is flowing seamlessly across the grass with fast passes, great communication, and serious hustle.

* 💃 In the Studio: The dance class is in full swing, bringing incredible energy, music, and non-stop movement to the rec.

* ☕ At the Café: The post-workout queue is buzzing, fresh coffee is brewing, and the patio is filled with everyone catching up after their sessions.

Nothing beats seeing the whole community out, active, and bringing the park to life. Come on down and grab a slice of the action! 🔥

📚 Back to school… and maybe back to a little bit of you time! ☕️Some of the kids are heading back to school today and to...
03/09/2026

📚 Back to school… and maybe back to a little bit of you time! ☕️

Some of the kids are heading back to school today and tomorrow, with everyone back by Monday… so if the school run suddenly leaves you wondering what to do with yourself, come and meet us at First Serve Café. 💙

Grab a friend, meet up with some fellow parents, enjoy a proper coffee and have a catch-up without someone asking for a snack every 37 seconds. 😂

Whether it’s straight after drop-off or a little later in the morning, we’d love to see you.

☕ Great coffee
🍰 Something sweet
🥐 Breakfast & brunch
🌳 And a lovely spot right in the Rec

School run done. Coffee next. 🎾☕️

❤️ A little way you can support us that costs absolutely nothing…First Serve Café is a small, independent, family-run bu...
02/09/2026

❤️ A little way you can support us that costs absolutely nothing…

First Serve Café is a small, independent, family-run business and, unlike the big chains, we don’t have a huge advertising budget or a marketing department behind us.

But we do have something much better… our customers and our community. ☕️

Every time you visit, there are some really simple things you can do that make a surprisingly big difference:

📸 Take a photo and tag First Serve Café
🔄 Share one of our posts
💬 Share your experience with friends and family
⭐ Leave us a review
👋 Tag someone who should come and visit us

It costs absolutely nothing, takes just a few seconds, but every tag, share and recommendation helps more people discover our little café at Old Town Rec.

We absolutely love seeing your photos too, whether it’s your morning coffee, a big breakfast, a slice of cake, lunch with friends or simply enjoying the Rec. ❤️

So next time you’re with us, get snapping and tag us! 📸☕️

And if you spot one of our posts while scrolling, giving it a quick share really does help.

From our family to yours, thank you for supporting First Serve Café. ❤️

Every visit. Every tag. Every share. Every recommendation. It all counts.

Address

Old Town Recreation Ground
Eastbourne
BN208HY

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+447869114190

Website

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