29th November 2007
Wadebridge café celebrates first year of opening with double competition success.
A North Cornwall café and fine food grocer is celebrating its first year of opening with success in two prestigious competitions.
Relish Food & Drink, in Wadebridge, was shortlisted in the 2007 Cornwall Tourism Awards, winning Bronze in the “Café/Popular Restaurant of the Year” category at last week’s awards ceremony.
And co-owner Hugo Hercod proved Relish is still the home of the best-made coffee in the region when he won the South West heat of the UK Barista Championships for the second year running.
Hugo beat competitors from Cornwall and Devon to top the regional heat in November, and is set to compete in the 2008 national finals at London’s Hotelympia from 19 to 21 February next year.
“The standard of this competition has gone up yet again in the past year, and it’s very satisfying to see that the South West is home to some of the country’s top baristas,” said Hugo, who finished fourth in the national finals in 2007. “The current UK champion, James Hoffmann, went on to win the world championships this year, which really goes to show how far the UK barista scene has come in recent years.
“What makes the barista championships unique is you have to demonstrate a complete understanding of what makes a really good cup of coffee; from selecting the blend of beans, to how they are roasted and prepared, as well perfecting the technical skills of the barista.”
As well as being well-known for great coffee, Relish has quickly gained a reputation for serving quality food and drink, both in the café and the delicatessen. The recognition from the Cornwall Tourism Awards is further confirmation that the business is getting things right.
“We were delighted to be shortlisted, it’s a great achievement for Relish to have been recognised in this way in just our first few months of opening,” said co-owner Sarah Townsend. “Wadebridge is a fantastic town and we have a strong local community of regular customers. There are a real variety of independent retailers here, and there’s a supportive spirit amongst the local businesses, which gives the town a distinctive character in stark contrast to faceless chain store market towns.
“Our first year has been a big challenge, both physically and mentally. Setting up a new business is never easy but Hugo and I are enjoying being in control of the business – it’s up to us what we do and that makes pleasing our customers easier. Our staff are fantastic, we have been very lucky to have low staff turnover – we still have two-thirds of our original staff and have taken on more throughout the year.”
Far from resting on their laurels, the couple are keen to build on the success of their first year of trading. The run up to Christmas is a very important time for Relish, with the café opening for Christmas parties on selected evenings in December.
The deli will also be open for the town’s Christmas late night shopping evenings until 9.00 pm on Friday 14th and Friday 21st December. Sarah is currently concentrating on the challenge of organising all the customer cheese and hamper pre-orders in the run up to the festive season.
Hugo’s immediate focus, however, is doing well in the finals of the UK Barista Championships - and for him there is no better preparation than being behind the espresso machine in the café.
“You can’t beat experience when it comes to coffee, and pulling shots of espresso on a daily basis is so important. In the competition I use the same blend of beans and the same milk for my cappuccinos - both from Cornish suppliers - that I use in Relish every day. I really wanted to show the judges the quality of the coffee we produce for each customer.
“We also want the public to realise that there is more than one sort of coffee shop; there are the big chains where staff get a minimal amount of training and you generally get vast cups of scalding hot, bitter, watery coffee; and there are the specialist coffee shops, of which Relish is one, where the barista has spent months perfecting their art - and the end result is a small, rich, velvety, creamy cup of coffee.
“There’s a great saying in barista circles: it takes six years from planting a tree for a coffee grower to deliver a bean; it takes a poorly trained barista 60 seconds to stuff it up.”
ENDS
Notes For Editors
Relish Food & Drink opened in December 2006 following a £75,000 refurbishment of the Foundry Court premises, which includes a 40 seat café and courtyard, and separate grocer with a well-stocked delicatessen counter.
Relish Food & Drink aim to be as environmentally sensitive as possible. Wherever possible, the packaging used is bio-degradable/compostable and in some instances made from recycled products. Only environmentally friendly chemicals are used for cleaning, while heating and lighting systems are as energy efficient as possible.
The Relish logo, a fern, is a representation of latté art: the mark of a quality cup of coffee. Barista and co-proprietor Hugo Hercod, a finalist in the 2006, 2007 and 2008 UK Barista Championships, is among the top five coffee-makers in the country. He also competed as part of the UK team in the European Team Coffee Challenge, held in Moscow in October 2007. Says Hugo: “If you are drinking a cup of coffee which the barista has taken the trouble to make look nice, then you know it’s going to be good.”
Relish Food & Drink, Foundry Court, Wadebridge. Telephone: 01208 814214.
Winter opening hours (until Easter): 9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Saturday. Closed Sunday.
Media Contact - PR on behalf of Relish Food & Drink.
For more information and images contact: Jim Michell at Barefoot Media.
Telephone: +44 (0)1208 895089 Email: jim@barefootmedia.co.uk |
