Spilling the Beans on upcoming CREATE COFFEE
Create Coffee is a creative hub located on Chesterfield road, Meersbrook, the 11 month old shop embodies creativity alongside insanely good coffee and a range of vegan and vegetarian snacks provided by local Sheffield bakeries.
In speaking with the owners Alan Gavin and Nick Coleman, The Buzz got an inside exclusive on Sheffield’s upcoming coffee shop.
Where did the inspiration come from for Create Coffee?
The original idea of the shop started off as a one month pop up gallery, after working with the previous owners of the shop; Evie Cockayne, we saw an opportunity to gain a short lease and create a pop-up gallery with loads of excess prints we had.
However, after beginning to set up the space we decided that just having an art space perhaps wouldn’t cut the cost of the space, this is where the idea for coffee and food to be accompanied with the creative aspect.
Why Chesterfield Road?
After growing up in the Meersbrook area, knowing the community and having the creative skills under our belt we’ve always been looking for a studio space.
Previous to Create Coffee we have ran exhibitions and have work at the Beer Engine and The Forum.
We already knew the community and we felt like we knew how to engage the correct target audience, we felt like there was a gap in the market for a creative space which also served high quality coffee
Why choose coffee to accompany the Creative aspects?
In the beginning we were going to have a really simple coffee machine and just serve a very simplistic version of what we run today however after doing some research we got really involved with types of coffee we could serve and the quality we could achieve.
We were then introduced to Trevor Neville, one of the owners of Smith Street Coffee Roasters, Trevor has been a mentor figure. to us and has really helped us gain the knowledge we needed to run the shop.
Trevor walked us through step by step what we needed and gave us all the advice possible we can’t credit him enough
Where did the name Create Coffee originate from?
We wanted to combine the two aspects that we wanted to represent, we wanted to create a creative hub where people could work on creative projects but also combine this with high quality coffee, we actually went through lots of names in the beginning trying to figure out which fitted the best however when we came up with Create Coffee we realised not only was it clear what we were offering but also had a good ring to it.
What advice would you give to someone trying to start their own business?
I think knowing the community well helps a lot, and recognising a point in a market where your idea would fit in and be unique, but also be prepared to learn and put a lot of hard work in.
Initially it did seem like a huge jump when we first opened, however I think one of the biggest aspects is just to enjoy it, for us personally I think because we have creative control it adds that element of gratification which is received when you see it succeed.
We often find ourselves here on our days off building or creating new elements to add to the space.
What community aspects do you hold in the shop?
One of the main ideas was to have art work on the wall, we started off by displaying some prints that we initially intended too however it grew from there, we now have art work displayed by local artists on a monthly basis. We wanted to have this exhibition element for local artists as renting gallery space is very expensive and it’s not quite feasible for artists who aren’t sure if they’re going to sell any pieces, we wanted to create a place where budding artists could display work where a large amount of people could see it.
On a monthly basis we also hold opening evenings where we invite the artists and their family and friends to see their work displayed.
We also put on a large number of exhibitions, various workshops, talks and film screenings for the community.
In particular last October we put on a whole month of events surrounding mental health awareness which was hosted by friends of ours Rosie Huzzard and Ben Doreey, we felt like the people who attended took alot away from the events.
Where is your food sourced from?
We get our food from a vary of sources, as you can see we have Birdhouse Tea available this being a Sheffield Tea making company, we wanted to keep our food and drinks sourced from local independent areas to support other local businesses.
We get our doughnuts handmade by Elly Joy, she currently works at Cutleryworks and makes the most amazing doghnuts, alongside Elly we also get treats from Nicks mum who makes really good brownies and flapjacks.
What’s next and what have you got in-store for the future?
So as mentioned were just adding to the shop and we think we’re at a good stage where were happy with the space,
Were actually planning to start the Create Crafts group where people can meet and make a variety of crafts and art.
Grab a great coffee at Create Coffee at 47-49 Chesterfield Rd and contact Alan or Nick at createcoffee@gmail.com for additional information regarding any information mentioned above.
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