Love letters, new pastries + a Paris detour

Hello, my friends! Kate here again.

Your February Brewed update is here. A little late, but you can't rush perfection. February really said "I love you" + then immediately followed up with overcast skies + emotionally distressing cold showers.

Valentine's Day + love in all its forms

I've always had a soft spot for February. Not because of the weather (for obvious reasons), but because there's a whole day dedicated to love. Romantic love, platonic love, chosen-family love, self love, all the love.

Growing up, my aunt went HARD for Valentine's Day. She didn't care much for Christmas or the 4th of July (reminder that I'm still your American Boy), but she went all out on Feb 14th. My aunt, sisters + I would eat junk food, decorate her iconic sugar cookies + couch rot while watching movies together. It taught me early on that love doesn't have to look one way + it surely does not need to be romantic to be celebrated.

This year, Mother Nature gave us a rare sunny Valentine's Day that Lou, Nour, Harmony + I fully leaned into. We blasted 80s disco jams, danced, sang badly behind the bar + celebrated the very real platonic love that lives inside this café every day.

I scoured my aunt's Facebook + found a pic of her cookies circa 2019, gotta love that woman's use of filters. Also, a cute pic of some flowers I received from a secret admirer this Valentine's Day. Please enjoy + no you may not have her recipe ;)

A little reality check: vegan pastries, cakes + guest espresso

To our vegan friends, cake lovers + coffee nerds, I know it's been a bit rocky between us lately. We haven't been as consistent as we want to be with vegan pastries, cakes + guest espresso. February, like January, was slower than expected + we've had to prioritise the unsexy-but-necessary stuff: staff wages, milk, house beans + rent.

We never want to cut back on variety, discovery or great treats, but sometimes living that small business life means making hard calls month-to-month. The good news is that things are stabilising + you should start seeing vegan pastries + cakes here more consistently in March (unless I forget to order them, in which case, please keep the roasting to a minimum).

Thank you for being patient with us while we ride out the slower season <3

Pastry update (the good kind)

We've officially switched pastry suppliers (again, I know). After a few too many "these taste stale" moments, we knew it was time to change it up.

We're now serving Brunswick East pastries! Plain croissants, pain au chocolats, cinnamon swirls + cheesymite swirls found fresh here every morning.

The Brunswick crew bake their pastries at an ungodly hour each morning + bike them straight to our front door. Their whole ethos is thoughtful baking — regenerative flours, heritage grains, cultured butter, reducing waste, you know… the good stuff. You can genuinely taste the care + we're really excited to be serving them daily.

Coffee win of the month

Sadie has entered her latte art era.

I've overheard her repeatedly whispering "that's a pretty one" to herself while pouring + honestly, I can see what you're seeing girl. Your intentional practising is paying off.

Closing After Dark

After about half a year of trying to make After Dark work, we've decided to wrap it up. Robert really gave it everything. Late nights, extra hours, trial + error. And while we had some great memories (private hires, events, the occasional busy night), it just wasn't consistent enough to sustain long-term.

We're not ditching the fun stuff yet. You can still get wine, beer + cocktails during the day, plus deli bits to take away. We've been mulling over how to continue to utilise the space in the evenings + we're leaning towards focusing on private hires + events. If you've reached out regarding a private hire, please hang tight, I'll respond to y'all soon :)

In the meantime, we're focusing our energy where Brewed naturally thrives: daytime community, coffee, snacks + good hangs.

Small wins + weird things

We passed our Thames Water safety check. A thing that feels huge, but I also have zero idea what it means. But regardless, yay us!

Also, someone left us a half-drunk outside drink in the café this month. Which is a bold move considering we literally make drinks here. But, as always, we are happy to serve you a proper cup of coffee + help you dispose of trash.

Personal bits (visa wins + Paris coffee)

After two years of visa stress, documents, lawyers + rare to medium-rare emotional turmoil, my visa was finally approved this month. Massive, MASSIVE thank you to both Robert + Sammy for supporting me through the whole process + helping make it possible for me to stay here, doing the job I love <3

To celebrate no longer being landlocked in the UK, my partner + I escaped to Paris for a long weekend. Two days full of sun, far too many steps, even more bread + very serious coffee crawls. If you're ever in Paris + want Brewed-adjacent vibes, Ruine Coffee is the one. Artsy walls, markers to doodle with + genuinely good coffee. 10/10 will be caught loitering here again.

Wrapping it up

February was a good reminder that slow months, changes + little resets are all part of running a small café. Thank you for sticking with us, showing up, dancing with us on good days + being patient with us on the weird ones.

See you in March xx (yes, I know it's March now lol) — Kate