News / Cafes
New cafe opens within former gin distillery
Laurence Lawes wants Interlude to be both a communal and a collaborative space.
His own roastery, Dino’s, will be providing much of the coffee, with regular guest roasters for pour-over, hot chocolate from Ruby Hue in Finzels Reach and pastries from Angel Bakery in Abergavenny.
But for Laurence – formerly head of coffee at Full Court Press on Broad Street in the Old City – this new cafe in Kingsdown will be much more than just what it serves.
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“I’m safe in the knowledge that I’m serving a good quality product, but that’s not the front and centre here,” says 29-year-old Laurence, who lives in Clifton.
“I want it to be a comfortable space that people can engage in. It already feels communal and it has just felt really nice to be able to set things up in my image.”
Interlude can be found within Psychopomp on St Michael’s Hill which retains a ghost sign of a former greengrocers – photo: Martin Booth
Laurence is joined in Interlude on St Michael’s Hill by barista Chloe Fella, also formerly of FCP and before that a chef at the former Casamia restaurant.
The new cafe has opened within the former Psychopomp distillery, with production of their gins and other liquids now moved to sister distillery Circumstance in Whitehall.
A coffee machine in the area previously occupied by a gin still sits on pieces of wood that were once the original counter at FCP and the original floor of Hart’s Bakery.
Psychopomp bottles remain for sale on the shelves in this former greengrocers which has now become a ‘tasting room’ – with special events planned around both alcoholic drinks and coffee.
“The two businesses are so complimentary,” says Laurence, who is also planning the occasional food pop-up at this communal, collaborative and creative new cafe.
Main photo: Martin Booth
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