The Cafe Cat: December 2012

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Monday, 24 December 2012

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

What will you be doing for New Year's Eve?

I know where every cool cat in Canterbury will be:

Come to Bramleys Cocktail Bar, Orange Street, for dancing, twirling and cocktails.

Oh, and of course, the excellent service.

You can find out more here.

Saturday, 22 December 2012

An Interview with Wild Ferment, Canterbury

For me, the soul of a city lies in the hearts of the people who invest their time and love there. The best way to find about a place is to talk to the people who care. Like the old man in the pub who has sat in the same seat for over 30 years, the kindly faced lady in the veg shop or the young woman with her arms splattered with chocolate as she makes salted caramels for her little place. They're the ones who know.

Just like James knows.

But who's James?!

Well, one misty Saturday evening, I realised that I needed a bottle of wine. I resent going to the supermarket because they always ask for me identification even though I am the grand old age of 27. It's embarrassing because I can't drive and I don't happen to carry my passport with me. What's more, having been spoilt for choice and service at Sexy Wine in Barcelona, I find the wines at most supermarkets to be pretty dull. And what's more yet, is that I prefer independent shops because they're usually friendlier and...

THEY KNOW.

So when I sauntered down Palace Street by the fading light of 6pm, I could hear the jaunt of some jolly folk music wafting through the glossy blue doors of Wild Ferment. And there he was. Staggeringly tall and thumbing through a magazine. Surrounded by shelves brimming with glinting bottles and jigging his knee to cry of the fiddle. We made small talk about Spanish wines, which is where I made my beeline and, as it was the shop's first birthday, we had a little sip of some excellent French wine, which James assured me would be kind to my oncoming migraine as it was made without any of the usual nasties you might find, like sulphur.

I finally chose a bottle of Gran Cerdo (click on the link) and went on my way, promising to return by the light of day for more words.

And so return I did.

So James, where are you from and how long have you been in Kent?

Well actually, I'm originally from Norwich. I moved down this way, what, ten years ago? No, it was twelve, around the year 2000. I came to be with my (now) wife. Do you know my brother, Adam? He owns the Veg Box Cafe.

Yes I do know Adam. He has an incredible ginger beard, beautiful babies and makes mean lentil, aubergine and cauliflower dhal.

Why Canterbury?

I live in Faversham so it's not just Canterbury that I love. It's Kent. Or East Kent abiding like Folkestone and Whitstable and all those wonderful little seaside places. I've always felt like Canterbury is 'on the cusp' of being magnificent. There's exciting things happening all the time with music, art and the independent shop scene.

Why did you open Wild Ferment?

I was the area manager for Oddbins Wines for years and I went all over the country to help run shops and train people. When they went bust, you know they went bust? Well, I suppose it was a push to do it.

Do what?

Well you see, wine is a really big thing but I feel like people only see the tip of it. You have your posh wine shops and your supermarket but I don't feel like either of these places give people the chance to know much more. No one talks to you in the supermarket about the wine.

So why are you special?

I think wines are really fascinating and endlessly evolving. I suppose Wild Ferment is a gateway between the supermarkets and the posh places. We want to sell interesting wines. That means the ones that come from small farms, from people with character and those who aren't afraid to be experimental. At Wild Ferment, I like to think that we sell real wines from real people. Take your bottle of Gran Cerdo for example, Gonzalo is such an interesting guy and the name of the wine is quite raucously a reference to Franco. Those are the kinds of wine I like. Those with the stories and the characters. And of course, the place. Wine comes from so many places. There are big vineyards and then those who are simply doing it because they love wine.

Where's your favourite place in Canterbury, James?

I really like the Blackfriars, oh wait, is it the Blackfriars Garden? Do you mean where the river and the little monastery is? Yes. That's the Greyfriars. Yes, the Greyfriars. Lovely place. I also like a good pub. Like the Bell and Crown. There aren't many pubs that are just themselves these days and the Bell and Crown just is what it is. A great, slightly grotty local pub full of townspeople.

Well, thank you very much James, I'm defo a die hard Wild Fermenter for life now and shall be spreading the word. See you on Friday the 9th of November for one of your regular wine tasting evenings?

If you want to know more about James and Wild Ferment, you can go to their website or simply pop on in for a chat. Forget Tesco... Wild Ferment is where you'll want to be buying your wine from now on. Open until 7pm weekdays, 8pm Saturdays and 6pm Sundays.

Thursday, 20 December 2012

The Little Things, Part One

With each passing year, I become increasingly sentimental and nostalgic, to the extent that I have started to worry for my mental health circa the age of 70.

If it continues at such stealth, I imagine myself standing in an aisle at Tesco howling with hot tears over the sweet scent of peanut butter cups that remind me of my youth or when the first snow of the year falls, clutching fistfuls of it and waving it feverishly at the sky for all those snows past.

It's quite possible that should someone show me a childhood picture that I will clutch it to my breast dramatically and weep inconsolably.

They add up to a lot. I've learned a lot from you.

I see signs of this ailment within my elders- when I stayed with my old neighbour in America, we decided to watch Sleepless in Seattle. Before the opening credits were even over, she was a sniffling wreck. Maybe when I was but a teenager I would have scorned her. Rather, I passed a tissue and wept silently in unison building up to a maddening crescendo of our combined tears by the time they found each other on the top of the Empire State Building.

My father often calls me just to tell me for the millionth time about how he remembers holding me and feeding me my first bottle. This used to make me roll my eyes but now I listen sympathetically as if it's the only time he has told the story.

When old man Mac at the pub I used to work in told me that he thought there was nothing more beautiful than a rose in a wine glass, I made sure there was one on his table everyday thereafter.

Most recently, I've started a list on my phone of things that I will never do again but would love to, given the chance. Really, some of them are the smallest, menial things but just the thought that I will never ever do them again is saddening. When people tell you as you're growing up that it's the little things that count, they really fecking mean it.

So I thought I'd share a few of my little things with you. Here is the first entry on my list of things I'd love to do just one more time:

When we were children, we would often take long car journeys. Those car journeys themselves are enough to make me swoon with the sweet memories of service station action (did anyone else love the service stations when they were kids?) but more recently, my mind has honed it down to the certain ambiance.

You know, that cold car, crammed into the backseat with your siblings and Grandma? It's cold. It's late. It's steamy. BBC Radio 4 is droning on monotonously, everyone is sleepy and it's raining outside.

What I yearn for most is perhaps twenty minutes in that car, watching the rain cascade down the window. I would stare for ages at them, feeling the suspense as they landed, little virgin raindrops at first until they started to swell with more water, gathering weight before finally setting off down the pane to meet others 'weeeeeeee' and pulling them into careening paths- which way were they going to go? Who else would they meet? It was so unpredictable! I would trace my fingers on the glass sometimes, trying to control their fate but before long my Grandma would take my hands away and rub them between hers to stop them from getting too cold.

About five minutes before we reached home, I would close my eyes tight and try to anticipate the journey that I knew so well. A gentle whirl around the roundabout about now, curving to the left. A few moments. A sharp left onto Darby Green Lane and then the slow right onto our driveway before grinding to a shuddering halt, doors slamming, steam escaping, Grandma's hands again leading me to the front door...

It's funny to think that we did this journey so very many times, without even thinking about it and that now it should haunt me so.

If you could do some things one more time, what would they be?

Wednesday, 19 December 2012

An Interview with Grey Street, Barcelona

I wrote this article on a recent wonderful trip to Barcelona... Aimee was so very willing and kind enough to answer my questions in detail and I have since been following her pretty shop updates on Facebook, looking for Christmas ideas. If you're in Barcelona and yet have shopping to be done, get yourself down to see her and her shop full of curios.

Did the little birdies tell you? I'm back in Barcelona!

Don't jump to conclusions though, I'm only here for a week but is fully my intention to find some more delightful places to you tell you about. Starting with Grey Street, a little boutique-style shop down a quiet lane in the Raval. At Grey Street, you'll find a menagerie of incredibly pretty things made by the fair hands of crafty folk from Barcelona and all over.

In fact, it's in the exact same place as the best coffee in the city (Satan's Coffee Corner) at number 25, Peu de la Creu. These bright, young buttons share the space- creating a perfect world of caffeine and delights.

So, dear readers, meet Aimee, the brain child of Grey Street.

Aimee, meet my dear readers.

A little design shop full of gifts and treats

Aimee, where are you from please?

I was born and raised in Canberra, Australia but my family all live in Melbourne now so that's my Australian home. I first came to Barcelona in 2000 when I was 20. I just picked up a map and decided that because of the sea and mountains, it was a good (albeit random) idea. Coming from a small place like Canberra, I wanted to be near the water and a big city. I stayed for 10 months and over the years as I travelled, I just kept coming back. I've been here for six years now and I live in Poble Sec. I really feel like I know the city better now and I just love it.

Vintage Clothing at boutique shop in El Raval

Why did you open Grey Street?

Well, I was working from home and I just didn't like the combination. I wanted to make work a separate thing from my life and the two were clashing so I created this space. I think here it is better for me because home and work are now more clearly defined but also because I can bring together all the things that I think are amazing in one place. I know so many people who make the most incredible stuff as side projects and don't have the confidence or the time to make them a full-time reality. For me, the shop is like a family of all these wonderful ideas.

I called it Grey Street after my grandparents home, which was a kind of kooky old house but filled with intricate items that I adored playing with. I have quite a defined idea of what 'Grey Street' looks like to me and so when I see something, I can feel that it fits and I try to stick to that.

Stationery and gifts at Barcelona's cutest boutique

What makes you special?

What? Me, personally? No, the shop, silly! Oh, ha, well I think we just have a great appeal to everyone. I like the idea that kids with their 50p pocket money can come in. Or, for example, an old man came in the other day to buy a shirt and he was really pleased with it. I'm trying to create a wide range to keep this appeal open so that everyone and anyone with any budget can stop by and find something that they love. That's really important to me.

Where's your fave place in Barcelona?

Encants flea market. Definitely. I go there all the time and just stare at things. I really love nostalgia (epic convo on nostalgia ensues- I love this girl). I can just get lost and sometimes find the coolest things, like this ash-tray. It's exactly the kind of thing my Granddad would have had at the Grey Street house.

Oh and I also love Mistral. When I want to spoil myself, I pop down the road. I love their chocolate croissants. And glazed doughnuts. I'm not even a doughnut fan but theirs are delicious. I really feel special when I treat myself with things from there.

Well, thanks Aimee. It was really lovely talking to you and I wish you all the best. I'll be back in tomorrow for some Christmas shopping. There's a poster my friend Beth will just love. And the tea... and the necklaces... OH GOD.

Fancy treating yourself, too? You know what to do. Aimee is waiting for you...

Friday, 14 December 2012

Red Gate Arts, Canterbury

As you know, I love a small company fuelled by the passions of dedicated and lovely people, which leads me to introduce to you Kate and Ruth of Red Gate Arts. Kate and Ruth are sisters who have been committed to growing a small seed of an idea into a full-time business and in the run up to Christmas, have found themselves lifting off from a dream into a reality.

Printing vintage-style posters, the sisters draw inspiration from their own lives in the pretty village in which they live, their love for times gone-by and the Kentish towns that surround them. Incorporating all the elements of their lives and interests, they have produced a series of fantastic, classic-style images, which they sell at small markets throughout Kent and online.

They're also responsible for my blog banner, which I am totally enamored with- thanks girls!

Let's talk to Kate and Ruth and get to know a little more about them:

Where are you from?

We both live at Red Gate Shaw (the inspiration behind our name!) in a little village near to Canterbury. It used to be a fruit farm many years ago and still shows signs of its past through the old bramley apple orchard in the centre of the property.

Why did you decide to open Red Gate Arts?

We decided to start Red Gate Arts because we both felt the need to do something creative for ourselves. As far back as we can remember there has always been some sort of art project taking up the living room table so it seemed logical to try and do something more productive with our ideas.

Why are you different?

A lot of people have a great appreciation for classic vintage design, but rarely do you see new ideas and artwork authentically created using those methods and styles. We like to think our work brings elements of classic design into the current era in a way that few people are doing.

What's your fave thing or place to do/go in Canterbury?

We love to view Canterbury from up by the University on my way to see a classic film at the Gulbenkian. It’s by far the best place to sit and appreciate the beauty of the city, and feels especially poignant after just having soaked up the delights of a film like ‘A Canterbury Tale’ or ‘Casablanca’ – They show some real gems at the Gulbenkian. One event we look forward to every year is the traditional carol singing on Christmas eve with the Archbishop of Canterbury perched a-top an open roofed double decker bus, dressed up to the nines in all his glad rags. Hundreds of residents gather, packed in like cattle, to sing the same old carols in the freezing cold, half of which you don’t know the lyrics to. Some 9yr old kid from the Choir usually sings a painfully timid and out of tune solo rendition of ‘silent night’ and everyone claps and cheers enthusiastically and thinks to themselves, ‘thank god I didn’t have to do that’. It’s great. A real feeling of community and Christmas spirit, and afterwards you rush to the nearest pub to regain the feeling in your toes with many a glass of mulled wine!

(Just like we did for our interview!)

Thanks girls! It was lovely to get cosy with you and I hope we get to meet again soon for more mulled wine and maybe a twirl on the dancefloor.

If you're interested in finding out more or purchasing one (or more) of the prints please click here, here or here.

Thursday, 13 December 2012

The City Kitty

Come see my new blog!

The City Kitty

Welcome to the City Kitty's tales of travel and meet the fellow friends made upon her trail. Working independently, the City Kitty interviews those with small businesses in an endeavour to find out more about the people at the heart of the community, their commitment and investment into the city and what makes their particular trade different to the masses. That, and because the City Kitty loves meeting people!

Meet below some of the City Kitty's friends and find out more about them over the coming weeks as content is migrated from the original publications of the Cafe Cat, and where personal musings live.

Having previously lived in Barcelona, The City Kitty is currently based in East Kent with the intention of roaming this 'Garden of England' and neighbouring counties. If there's anyone or anything she ought to know, please do not hesitate to make contact via email, twitter or carrier pigeon, if you so wish.
Please follow the links above to like and support the City Kitty and her alter ego, the Cafe Cat.

The City Kitty would like to express her thanks to the lovely ladies at Red Gate Arts for designing her blog banner, with which she is totally enamored. Thanks girls!

Stay tuned, there is plenty to come.

Sunday, 9 December 2012

Now Is The Winter of My Discontent

December is here. Ice moves through waters like little hands pressing and stemming the flow. Snow falls like tiny armies armed to fight growth, equipped to make everything stop, almost dead. The fallen lay scattered in gridlock, seized by the prison of winter and the ground lays solid underfoot.
And yet, yet while the outdoor world is grinding to a frozen halt, the indoors is warm and lively with people gathering with the ones they love. Rosy faces are illuminated by the fire and festive cheer with kisses lingering still cold on their cheeks.

Hi everyone!
I realised that I hadn't written anything just from me lately. I've been caught up in the stream of life and what not, haven't I? How have you been?
Well, I got back from Barcelona and, surprise surprise, it was a mini struggle as a lot of my work dried up and I was left wondering how I was going to survive the winter. At my darkest moment of fear, a little message popped up on my screen from the proprietor of my favourite cocktail bar simply saying 'do you want a job?'... Isn't it funny when life does that? And so it is that I am working in the sassiest place in Canterbury with a whole bunch of gorgeous people. I'm not gonna lie to you, I LOVE working in a bar. If it paid mega bucks, I'd probably do it for the rest of my life. I adore meeting people, being on my feet and waltzing around to the music.

Look at this tiny little apple that I found in the frosty orchard (yes, I am wearing my pyjamas but only the trees can see me). This fellow makes me think about a personal upcoming project I've got growing. You really ought to watch this space because if you love my city stuff, it's pretty damn cute.

In other news, sadly the world lost the loveliest cat that I have ever known. Like, really. This cat was just so very sweet and kind and always wanted to give love. I think his passing may have actually broken my heart a touch. I was considering moving back to my mother's in the New Year but it gets very lonely there sometimes and he was my right hand man, following me to the bath, down the garden and sitting next to me all day long while I worked at my computer. I intend to write a longer post on this wonderful soul but in the meantime, let's just survey his beauty. Just look at those eyes! BUBBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

We can't really believe you're gone, Bubba, and your departure will be felt greatly for a long time to come. Goodbye my little Bibblypops Bibblestein. I really do love you.

On that note, I'm off. I've got Sunday shiz to attend to. Like eating a chocolate orange on the sofa with my beloved housemate and occasionally hollering 'BUBBAAAAA' into the air with dramatic agony. As the world is supposed to end on the 12th, we're also considering eating all of the advent calendars. Needs must, people, NEEDS MUST.

Oh, and does anyone else fecking LOVE this song? Bubba did.

Thursday, 6 December 2012

An Interview with Boho Cafe, Canterbury

Hello dears,

Do you remember when I used to work in a snazzy little cafe in the heart of Canterbury? Do you recall this article? Well, now that I am back in the city, I decided to go and interrogate my old employers and pals, Kristian and Kate of Boho Cafe. This married double act are like peas in a pod, running Boho between themselves with the addition of Kristian's mum Sue and with a little help from sister Portia, too.

That's what I love most about the place: the family vibe. The daddies of Canterbury cafe culture, meet Kristian and Kate.

Where are you from?

Kate: We're from towns apart, us two. I'm from the country town of Shrewsbury, Shropshire and I moved to Nottingham to study textiles. I moved to Canterbury with a (now ex) boyfriend and met Kristian when we both worked at Habitat. We fell in love over the bath towels.

Kris: I'm from everywhere. Start at the beginning Kris, weren't you born in Farnham? Ah yes, spiffing Surrey. Yeah, I lived in Farnham but my Dad was a bit of a dick and did some time and so we were on the run for a while and ended up in Wales. I left home when I was 16 and took a little van down to Cornwall where I wanted to be a surfer dude but it just didn't feel like home. Then I went to Glasgow, which is a really cool city. I studied Art at the uni there on the sly (I didn't get in but the teacher let me come to classes anyway cuz he was cool) and then I met a great tutor from Canterbury who eventually helped me to come down here in 2001.

Kate: Yeah I got here in the summer of 2003.

Why did you decide to open Boho?

Kate: Well, we opened in February 2006.

Kris: Yeah it was mental. We had all of these ideas together like a shop, a cafe, a mini gallery and we felt like there weren't many cafes in Canterbury where you could get a light bite and a coffee except for Cafe St Pierre.

So basically you had a whole bunch of insane ideas?

Kate: Yeah then we kind of honed it into the cafe. Because of where my parents are from, we've spent a lot of time in Holland and we absolutely love the cafe culture. In European cities there are always dozens of places to grab a coffee, or a glass of wine or whatever you fancy in really chilled atmospheres.
In England things are a bit more formal and in the past, if you wanted a coffee, you had to go to a pub or something. We feel a bit like the pioneers of cafe culture in Canterbury and wanted to create a place where everyone and anyone could come and have a chat and a coffee or whatever. We're also really kid friendly. We love kids. We have to, we have two!

Kris: I had a bit of money from a property I sold during the boom and then my mum broke up with her fella and came here so we could then abuse her knowledge of running a cafe cuz she's had years of experience. Then my sister came here. Kate's family are moving this way. Canterbury really feels like home. Like a magnet that draws everyone in. It was like loads of fate crossing. We like to think of Boho as...

Kate: The kitchen table?

Kris: Yeah like a big kitchen table that everyone can sit around and eat what they want and enjoy some proper cafe action. We're the kitchen table of Canterbury.

That's poetic, that is. I love it!

What makes you different?

Kate: I think the fact that we have something for everyone. We're indiscriminate and we love kids, which a lot of places don't in this city. We have loads of mums in the mornings chatting over cups of tea. Our attitude is very laid back and the door is open to everyone to come and meet their friends- like the kitchen table thing I was just talking about.

Your food is pretty delicious as well, isn't it?

Kris: Our food is different to other places in town- we're quite continental in here so our menu reflects a range of flavours and favourites.

I can smell soup. What flavour is that?

Kris: That's cumin and caramelised onion, baby!

What are your favourite things to do in Canterbury or places to go?

Joint babbling: Charity shops. The car boot fair. Bike polo on Tuesday evenings. Riding our bikes around the city (even though we're not supposed to, really) and hanging out with Gabe and Audrey, our crazy kids and Marcel and Peaches, the cats.

So there you have it. Another mini insight into one of Canterbury's finest, independent cafes. Breakfast and lunch is always a bustling affair but well worth it. I'd go as far as to say it's one of the best places to eat in the city and one that is full of personality, spunk and fab food... who needs Starbucks with genuine places like this with real, warm family people ?

Additional info:

Check out this super cool picture of Boho showing a former shop owner from decades ago and Kristian now. Isn't it nice to think that building has always been home to little businesses?

Should you wish to go visit Kate and Kristian, here's the deets:

View Larger Map

Tuesday, 4 December 2012

Lu Ink, Barcelona

Cropping up all over the city in various nooks and crannies are little projects, started by individuals, couples or groups that have invested their passion and love into an idea. They have slaved to sow the seed and to bring their dreams to life. These are the businesses that we should be paying attention to, the ones that we should nurture and appreciate for the organic, individual statement they make upon the city and the small communities that grow out of them. Their ability to inspire is endless. It's as if they say 'we did it and so can you'.

Lu Ink is a fine example of this, sitting neat and pretty on Carrer de Madrazo to the North of city. A shop brimming with gloriously gorgeous interior designs and trinkets, Lu Ink is run by couple Blanca and George.

Inviting me to stop by in a friendly email, I popped in one bright afternoon last week to say hello and to ask them a few questions about Lu Ink...

So where are you both from?

Blanca: I was born and raised in Barcelona.

George: Well, I was born in Melbourne but I came to Barcelona when I was eight. At the age of twenty, I moved to New York for five years and then to Italy for two before I met Blanca and then I decided that I wanted to be here, with her.

And so what made you decide to open Lu Ink?

We decided to open the store to make and exhibit the things we love and the kind of styles we like to surround ourselves with. As a digital artist and a designer, our tastes complement one another and we wanted to bring it all under one roof. We wanted to take our jobs and the things we love and combine them into a constantly evolving workshop/exhibition. We sell to the public and these days even to other stores.

What makes you special?

We make limited editions of things, numbered and signed. We use natural materials and absolutely everything is handmade. We love our work and that is quite obviously infused into each and every piece. Our range is broad and we like to play with french charm, modern design, rock and roll and antiques.

Aside from our own creations, we also sell the things of other creatives that we love that have a distinctive style. We have jewellery, books and much more, bringing the designers of Barcelona together in a sort of showcase.

Where is your favourite place in Barcelona?

Apart from this here workshop and store?! Well ok if we had to chose somewhere different, we love restaurants like Nomo, Casa Fernandez and Big Fish.

Wandering around Lu Ink, it's clear to see the hard work and dedication this couple have invested into the store. Nattering aside, I spent a good half an hour browsing and would have spent longer if I had had the time. Not only are Blanca and George friendly and welcoming but they are also gracious and genuinely interesting to talk to. If the day ever comes that I should need to decorate my home, I will certainly be back to pick up as much as I can afford and to continue my conversation with them. I love the idea that when someone should visit my home and ask me where I bought a piece from, I can say 'Well, I know this great couple in Barcelona...' and share the passion and story that they have so lovingly created.

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www.lu-ink.com

www.facebook.com/luink

Madrazo 141,

08021 Barcelona

tel: +34932008806

tel: +34636420795