Leicester Tigers Link as New Railway Station Café Prepares to Open

A new café set to open at Market Harborough Railway Station next month has a connection to Leicester Tigers.

The Flying Bean Café chain is owned by Tom Allen, the brother of Tigers’ assistant coach and former player Anthony Allen, who lives near the town.

When the station’s previous café closed more than a year ago, Anthony told his brother about the vacant site. Tom then began negotiations with East Midlands Railway to take it on.

The new café is expected to create four jobs, with Tom, himself a former professional rugby player, saying: “When Anthony mentioned the cafe was vacant it sounded the perfect location for us.

We’re really looking forward to opening in Market Harborough and being part of the community.”

As well as the café inside the station, a mobile coffee bar will operate from a converted horsebox in the station car park, beside the London-bound platform, serving morning commuters.

Flying Bean already operates cafés at several other railway stations, alongside other locations.

Work to fit out the Market Harborough site is due to begin on October 26th, ahead of a planned opening in early November.