Its time to get to know the faces behind our fabulous local businesses – this week we bring you an interview with Luke and Alice Underdown of Garage Coffee.
Garage Coffee – 17 Sun St, Canterbury CT1 2HX
Tell us a little bit about Garage Coffee…
We are a speciality coffee roastery with shops in Canterbury, Whitstable & Margate. We source some of the highest grade coffee the world has to offer, roast to perfection at our roastery just outside of Canterbury and then serve up in our shops and through some wonderful wholesale partners. Our shop in Canterbury has been located on Sun Street since 2019 and can’t wait to see it full of our wonderful customers again!
Why did you choose Canterbury to open your coffee shop?
Canterbury is a brilliant, vibrant city and was the obvious choice for our first shop. Our (normal) customer base is so varied from workers to tourists, but over the last year it’s been really lovely to get to know some more residents who’d usually be on a daily commute. Plus, our shop is in such a fabulous location, steeped in history and are proud to be serving up such a high quality product amongst other great local businesses.
What are you looking forward to most after lockdown?
Getting people sitting down in our shops again is going to be a great moment. Sitting down for coffee and cake is one of life’s greatest pleasures right? So to be able to share that with our customers again will be brilliant, even if it does mean more washing up!
How will you keep your customers safe on their return?
We put lots of measures in place when we re-opened after the first lockdown back in May, including screens, one-way systems and plenty of hand sanitizer and we’ll continue to respond to the latest guidance to keep our customers and staff safe.
What has kept you busy over lockdown?
Although our shops have been closed, our roastery has remained open and continues to supply the businesses that are still running as well as our home coffee drinkers. We have seen a huge spike in people ordering coffee online during 2020 so that has certainly kept us busy. We also used the time to develop our new packaging range, with all our coffee bags and boxes now fully recyclable. We’re also busy planning for the Kent Coffee Festival 2021 – more news on that soon!
How can customers support you right now?
By continuing to keep those caffeine levels up and drink great coffee at home! We have a wide range of coffees and coffee making accessories available to order through our website (www.garageroasted.co.uk) as well as brew guides to show you how to get the best out of your coffee gear. But importantly, by buying speciality coffee, you’re not just supporting us, but the brilliant farmers and communities that put so much effort into growing these crops. It’s vital we keep drinking coffee to keep the market moving and support these growers, ensuring great coffee is sustainable for many years to come! Buy direct from Garage Coffee
