January… if you work in hospitality, you'll get this
Kate's monthly café update from 263 Green Lanes. No fluff, no bullsh*t — just the honest bits of what's been happening at Brewed.
Hello hello, my friends, Kate here.
I'm trying something new this year + I hope ya'll are here for it. Once a month, I'll be sending out a little café update. No fluff, no bullsh*t, all from my perspective. Just the honest bits of what's been happening at Brewed, 263 Green Lanes.
January… if you work in hospitality, you'll get this
It started strong. We were one of the few cafés open on New Year's Eve + Day. Great energy, absolute mayhem + many high hopes for the new year. Then *BAM* mid-Jan struck + it went quiet. Like too quiet. I had to wonder if it was just an us thing or was everywhere else feeling it too?
I did a full neighbourhood wander, popping into cafés, pubs (pint in hand, obviously) + restaurants to ask if they were feeling it too. Turns out, we weren't alone. Still, as things slowly picked back up towards the end of the month, I couldn't help but feel grateful. Grateful to our regulars, park meanderers, bathroom visitors + everyone else in between. January reminded me just how much community carries small businesses like ours. So, thank you for sticking with us through the month <3
Staff wins (some big ones!)
We promoted our lovely Toby from barista to Assistant Manager!
He's been part of the Brew Crew since August + has brought so much thought, care + Frank Ocean into the space. From fine-tuning our matcha recipe to helping shape what's coming next for Brewed, we're so lucky to have him. Please enjoy this pic of him when he sprained his ankle playing tennis + STILL showed up for shift.
We also welcomed new faces to the team — helloooo Jess, Harmony + Ella!
After saying goodbye to a few long-time baristas who've moved on to their dream-field jobs (proud but emotional moment), these three somehow rocked up through our doors with CVs in hand at exactly the right moment. They've been absolute stars + if you've been in recently, you've likely seen them in action. If you haven't, come in + say hi!
Coffee talk (brief, I promise)
With all the team changes, there were a lot of moving parts. And yes, a couple of humbling Google reviews. I took the drop from 4.7★ to 4.6★ very seriously. Since then, Sam + Bob have been deep in coffee training, tasting, tweaking + coming in on days off to make sure we're continuing to do what we do best: serving excellent coffee. Let me just say, we are locked in, baby.
As you can see, I am the king of quality checks. Making sure everything is up to standard.
What's new beyond coffee
You might've noticed some new shelves + fridges in the café. We've expanded our wine, beer, cheese (from Jumi!) + snack offerings. Bob + I have spent long hours staring at our brightly lit screens, adding each new product to our website. Now you're able to reserve online, post them to your friends + family or send a Brewed care package when someone needs a little pick-me-up.
A personal highlight
We kicked off our staff Christmas party at the café (très chic). While I (rather responsibly, might I add) checked in with Bob about which wines were off limits, I accidentally tried the one wine he said was a no-go. To whom it may concern, that wine was bloody delicious (look at me being all British). Dark, generous, a lil' spicy + dangerously drinkable. Sorry, Robert, but d*mn that wine was good!
I will not show incriminating evidence of the deed, but instead, here's a link to try it yourself:
Notes of dark chocolate, blackcurrant + liquorice. Or in my own words, "beefy little red".
Shop itAnnnnnd some pictures of the game-filled Christmas party we had:
Housekeeping!
The gold + silver stars have officially been 86'd. RIP. You served us well.
To wrap it up
January was a good reminder that quiet moments happen + that community is what gets us through them. The people who sit in Brewed, work in Brewed + pass through Brewed are the reason we do this at all. You make those early mornings worth getting up for.
If you've made it this far, thanks for hanging with me + sharing in all that January was <3
More next month xx — Kate
