Bake and Brew Awards 2026| 11 Cat cafes have emerged as the perfect spot for those seeking the companionship of cats without the longterm responsibility of caring for them, with research suggesting that spending time with our feline friends can significantly improve our mental and physical health. The Bedford Cat Café offers a unique experience for guests who wish to relax with a hot drink, enjoy freshly prepared food, and spend quality time in the company of cuddly cats. Owner Brenda Sackett told us more below. Cat Cafe of the Year 2026 – Bedfordshire & LUXlife Feline Welfare Excellence Award 2026 – Bedfordshire Driven by this mission, the Sacketts have successfully established Bedford Cat Café as a community-focused business. The pair recognised that the café’s calming atmosphere makes it a safe space for all and have dedicated themselves to providing work experience and volunteering opportunities for young people with learning difficulties or neurodivergence. Bedford Cat Café currently provides placements for Bedford College, Born to Perform, and the Job Centre. “We want to help people with learning difficulties and neurodivergence to find a safe space as customers, work-experience students, volunteers, or employees,” Brenda shared. “This also takes into consideration the needs of individuals in the community who have difficulties entering the work arena. We are able to offer work related training and experience over varying lengths of time to allow individuals to acquire the skills and confidence for employment.” As a result, John and Brenda have built a standout team of animal lovers, a number of whom have their own additional needs and strive to progress their professional career. Bedford Cat Café has at least one member of staff on at all times to ensure the health, welfare, and safety of its beloved cats. Every member of the team cares not only for the cats but for the customers too, always happy to engage and share the history, personality, and story of each cat in its care. At present, Bedford Cat Café is exploring ways of bringing the cat café and the care it provides for cats into the community. The café is currently training five members of staff to offer cat grooming in the future, which is a service the team has identified to be greatly needed throughout Bedford and the surrounding area. At the same time, Bedford Cat Café is looking to integrate nighttime activities into its offering, taking advantage of its spacious entertainment area. Over the last year, John and Brenda Sackett have successfully cemented Bedford Cat Café as a trusted pillar of its local community. Since taking over the café, their team has promoted animal welfare and adoption, created countless employment opportunities for individuals in the area, and provided a safe, welcoming environment for cats and coffeedrinkers alike. For this reason, we at LUXlife Magazine are delighted to recognise Bedford Cat Café as Bedfordshire’s Cat Cafe of the Year 2026. Contact: Brenda Sackett Company: Bedford Cat Café Web Address: www.bedfordcatcafe.co.uk et in the historic market town of Bedford, Bedford Cat Café offers users a unique experience in a calm, cosy space where great food, quality coffee, and friendly cats can come together. Whether you are looking for a peaceful place to unwind, a memorable café visit, or a chance to enjoy coffee with cats, Bedford Cat Café is the perfect sanctuary for cat lovers throughout Bedford and beyond. Working in partnership with Peterborough Cat Rescue, Bedford Cat Café currently has 11 cats in residence, all of which have been rescued by the charity. Each cat is neutered, vaccinated, and treated for parasites before joining the feline team and being welcomed into a safe, relaxing, and nurturing environment. Its human team aims to promote the benefits of cat ownership and adoption, whilst highlighting the cats that are often overlooked in the adoption process, such as elderly cats or cats with disabilities. As the team welcomes members of the public into Bedford Cat Café, it recognises the importance of ensuring that each interaction does not harm the welfare or wellbeing of its resident cats. The café holds an Animal Welfare License that ensures the highest standards of care, maintained by a trained team of staff dedicated to upholding the house rules. This unwavering commitment to cat care has earned Bedford Cat Café the LUXlife Feline Welfare Excellence Award 2026 in Bedfordshire. This approach is driven by Owners John and Brenda Sackett, who purchased the business in May 2025 with the future of their daughter in mind. A massive animal lover, Abiah has mild learning difficulties, and her parents sought out to create a safe and calming space where she can connect with animals on a meaningful level. They relaunched Bedford Cat Café on June 30th, 2025, building on to a legacy first started in 2019. S Bedford Cat Café
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