Subscribe to trusted local news
If you are accessing this story via Facebook but you are a subscriber then you will be unable to access the story. Facebook wants you to stay and read in the app and your login details are not shared with Facebook. If you experience problems with accessing the news but have subscribed, please contact subscriptions@thestrayferret.co.uk. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
- Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
29
Sept 2022
Harrogate coffee shop launches 'community table'
A Harrogate coffee shop has launched a 'community table' to allow people to chat to others as fears over the cost of living crisis grow.
Brew Bar, on St Winifred's Avenue, is also inviting customers to gift a coffee in advance for those who are not in a position to buy a drink.
It comes after what business owner Simon Somerville-Frost described as "a tough few years".
He said:
To help those struggling, Mr Somerville-Frost has introduced the community table to Brew Bar.
He explained:
Simon Somerville-Frost
Tucked away on a residential street just off the Stray, the Harrogate cafe became a lifeline for the local community and nearby hospital staff. during the pandemic.
Brew Bar opened in May 2018 after Mr Somerville Frost realised that, after nearly a decade of living in the Saints area, he didn’t know any of his neighbours and felt the sense of community had been lost.
Read more:
- Harrogate cafe a 'hidden gem' for locals and hospital staff
- Caffeine boost: The rise of the independent coffee shops in Harrogate
In an effort to put that right, he took on a shop unit opposite his home and soon expanded next door.
Some tried to dissuade him from opening a cafe outside the town centre, but he was confident that it could become the heart of the local community.
And this latest initiative forms part of his ongoing mission to continue rebuild the community network by bringing people together.
Mr Somerville-Frost has previously spoken out about his battle with depression and anxiety after lockdown and how his customers helped him get through it.
Speaking to his customers in a social media post, he said:
0