Get To Know table

First off - congratulations on winning Best Cafe in Essex for 2023! This is the second year in a row that you have won the award, an amazing achievement. What do you think makes a great cafe, and how do you retain a loyal customer base?

Thank you so much - we’ve just heard the good news that from 77,000 independent UK businesses, we’ve been shortlisted and are in the Top Five Cafes in the UK! The whole team are so chuffed and proud.

I think what makes a great cafe is when great coffee, great food and exceptional customer service fuses together. Our standards are exceptional. We start every morning with team talk, we remember customer’s coffee orders and we care about every single detail. We will make your day better.

What’s your experience in the hospitality industry and what inspired you to start table, how many years ago?

My first job was age 13 pot washing in the local pub. I worked for my family who are all grafters, and had multiple businesses in the hospitality industry. When you work in hospitality, your team isn’t just your team; it’s your family.

I’m also really interested in cafe culture, and I started to notice how many people share a “moment” in a coffee shop. I love hosting and having people over. Table was unintentionally launched in the pandemic in 2020; we are a lockdown success story.

We love that you use decent packaging products, what made you decide to use sustainable packaging?

We encourage customers to use the in-house cups and mugs as much as possible, and to bring their own cups in for us to fill however there is still a demand and need for a take out cup, and decent packaging is the best option. If we can play our part in doing as much as we can to help and aid sustainability, we will. We use compostable straws, and we give our coffee grounds to the local farmer for composting.

What’s your favourite thing about working with decent packaging? 

The ever-changing product range, and the on trend colours. Your stand at the coffee show in Paris looked fabulous!

What is your current favourite hot cup colour? 

I love the new cornflower blue.

Go-to coffee order?

Double espresso please.

Hospitality is a busy and often stressful industry to be in. How do you look after your mental health and wind down? 

I get regular massages and really enjoy working out. In my opinion, there’s no better work wind down than a long soak in a hot bath; my friends try and persuade me to get on the cold showers but I like heat too much! I use the do not disturb function on my telephone a lot, and I have taught myself to sit down and rest - it’s taken quite a few years to learn.

What advice do you have for small business owners trying to implement sustainability initiatives? 

It’s quite a challenging time for small business owners right now. I would say research, price comparison and forward planning are vital. Start small with tiny little tweaks; however small they are, change and progress. Find yourself mentors in the areas you are looking to work on - I currently have six in different areas and expertise. They are all gold!

Find table on Instagram here.