coffee, cake, and chaos
Well, hello there! It's been a hot second since I last wrote a blog post and our business (and lives!) have certainly changed drastically since then - so, where do I start?
You may (or may not) know that on 18th May we opened our very first coffee shop and bakery counter in Navenby, Lincolnshire, called Robin Rose Bakes and Books. It's been the craziest three months of my life and I can't put into words how grateful we are for the support we've had.
The shop looks beautiful on sunny mornings!
It's always been a dream of mine to have a coffee shop/bookshop, so integrating our existing business into a bakery/bookshop/coffee shop has been a truly wild ride. The feedback we've had from customers, both old and new, has been wonderful, and I already feel like we're becoming a part of the local community.
Reading and running
Something I wanted to do way before we opened the shop was to open a space that feels like a part of the community, where people can come together for a variety of activities. Two things we've already got in motion are Get Lit (our book club organised by myself and one of our regular customers, Emily) and Run The Roads (a running club organised by one of our regular customers, Matt, which we're hosting at the shop).
Get Lit will be happening on the 1st Wednesday of every month and at the moment we're fully booked up (excuse the pun) but I'm potentially going to be offering a second evening for the club and also hosting a discussion online for those who can't make it in person. If you'd like to take part in this, please do get in touch!
Run The Roads is something I'm very passionate about hosting, as Matt is someone who wants to encourage everybody getting exercise in whatever way is comfortable for them. He wants to help people to move their bodies without the fear of judgment or the pressure of competition. RTR will be all about community and socialising, giving folks the opportunity to get some movement into their day whilst also feeling the benefits or fresh air, conversation, and some cake and coffee at the shop! As Matt likes to say, 'we get there when we get there'.
If you'd like to sign up for the (always free!) running club, click here.
The shop
When we were designing the layout and interior for the shop, we knew we wanted to focus on three things: comfort, quality, and cosiness.
I'm a firm believer that there's nothing more relaxing than curling up with a book in a cosy place with a cup of coffee - which is exactly the feeling I wanted to portray with our shop.
There's a great selection of secondhand books on offer to buy or read whilst you're in the shop, cosy chairs to rest in, and plenty of tables if you'd like to grab something to eat or have a good catch up with a friend.
We're also dog-friendly (of COURSE) so feel free to bring along your puppy pals and we might just have a treat for them too...
Opening times
To find our most up-to-date opening times, always check out our Google listing. We're closed on Monday's but we do open for bank holidays.
What's on the menu?
As well as a huge selection of our classic bakes, we also have freshly made sandwiches every day, enough coffee and tea to sink a battleship, and great range of cold drinks (smoothies, coolers, iced tea, milkshakes...).
We have a great selection of breakfast items too: porridge pots, toast, crumpets, toasted teacakes, and overnight oats.
We don't serve hot food to order at the moment but it's something that has potential for the future, so keep your eyes peeled for menu updates on our instagram or facebook.
What's next?
We're so excited for the future of our small business and proud of what we've achieved so far (that always feels strange to say!). The support we've had is astounding and everyday I meet someone new with a story to tell or an idea to help us grow.
We're really looking forward to the future of RRBB and can't wait to bring you all along with us on this crazy journey.
See you in the shop soon!
China x
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