The National Library says its popular cafe Bookplate will be reopening soon as its current caterer Tracy Kelley looks to consolidate and concentrate on running only one cafe, Pollen at the Botanic Gardens.

The new caterer is being finalised with Bookplate hoping reopen later this month. It will still be called Bookplate, the name owned by the library.

Ms Keely said her Poppy and Maude hospitality business needed to make some changes in the wake of the COVID lockdowns and the decision to leave Bookplate had been purely financial.

She had run Bookplate for seven years and said it had been a "wonderful experience".

Ms Keely will continue to run Pollen with her sons Nick and Matt, saying COVID had forced some hard decisions, including consolidating her business.

"It's a decision a lot of hospitality businesses have had to make," Ms Keely said.

"At the end of the day, someone will go in there and do an amazing job because it is such an incredible venue and the library is such a wonderful place to work. The staff have been nothing but supportive."

The Portrait Cafe at the National Portrait Gallery will also be closed for a number of days next week as The Fresh Collective takes over as new managers from Broadbean Catering and Events.

READ MORE:

The cafe will remain open until 2pm Monday and then close until Thursday to allow the changeover. A pop-up will be at the gallery on Tuesday and Wednesday to keep visitors caffeinated.

A gallery spokeswoman said the new cafe arrangements had been subject to a rigorous tender process.

"There were a fair range of interested parties with a broad spread of operating styles and ideas. We indicated in the tender specification that we wanted a contemporary operator, strong not just in functions but also in the stylish and quality retail cafe end," a statement from the gallery read.

Sydney-based hospitality group The Fresh Collective will manage the Portrait Cafe and be the caterers for on-site events.

"They have extensive experience within a number of national cultural institutions across the country, provide exceptional food and value for money," the gallery said.

"The NPG would like to acknowledge the outstanding service provided by Broadbean Catering and Events who have served us so very well over most of the last decade."

The library also wished the best for Ms Keely, who will continue to develop Pollen at the Australian National Botanic Gardens as a cafe and special events venue.

Bookplate would always remain close to her heart.

"Honestly, it's been the most wonderful experience of my life, the last seven years," she said.

"To be able to work with my sons has been the jewel."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: