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Pop-up cafe where you pay in miles travelled to open near Maidstone by Wiggle

A pop-up outdoor adventurers' cafe where you don't pay with money, but instead in miles, will arrive in Kent this week.

Sports retailer Wiggle says the pop-up cafe in a far-flung spot of the county – so that you cannot drive to it – is designed to celebrate the great British outdoors.

Will you be travelling by bike? Picture: Wiggle
Will you be travelling by bike? Picture: Wiggle

It aims to reward outdoor enthusiasts and athletes that carry on whatever the weather, serving hot drinks and sweet treats devised by GBBO finalist and keen outdoor sports fan Steph Blackwell.

Payments will be “charged” in the form of miles travelled along a route that covers hiking trails, woodland and even a lake – the more land traversed, the bigger the reward.

Wiggle Adventurers' Cafe will open to the general public for one day on Wednesday, November 3, on an island in the middle of a lake near Boughton Monchelsea in Maidstone.

It will be in a spot not usually accessible to the general public and can be found only by a bespoke route incorporating the Greensand Way long-distance path, taking in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and crossing 300m high Leith Hill.

Organisers want visitors to hike, trail run, cycle and even cross water to get there.

You could run or hike your way to the cafe Picture: Wiggle
You could run or hike your way to the cafe Picture: Wiggle

Once at the lake, Wiggle teams will be on hand to give visitors their currency card, which will be stamped to validate the miles travelled and used as payment at the cafe.

A boat will also be available to transport athletes to and from the island.

Fran Baratta, head of outdoor adventure at Wiggle, said: “We know autumn is a pivotal time in the outdoor sports calendar, and a time when even the most dedicated of runners, cyclists and adventurers re-consider moving their efforts indoors.

"However, this needn’t be the case as with the right motivation, kit and insight, autumn can be a fantastic time to get outdoors.

“We can’t wait to welcome new and existing Wiggle customers to the Adventurer’s Cafe and show them how brilliant the great outdoors can be in the UK and what is waiting on their doorstep."

The cafe will be open from 8am to 3pm. The mid-week, daytime opening is aimed at keeping visitor numbers down so the surrounding environment is not disrupted.

To find out how to attend, click here.

For more Days Out ideas across Kent click here.

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