The Milk and Bean Café on Northbrook Street was opened by Chris Chaplin, 25, and Freya Lynch, 24, last August.
Chris, who has a background in the motor trade, was inspired by Freya’s love of hospitality – spurred by stints as a chef and barista – and, after a year serving lattes and cappuccinos from a horsebox, the couple took the leap to rent out a unit in their hometown.
Amid the excitement of decorating and stocking the new café, Chris and Freya also decided to follow in the footsteps of other, admittedly larger, businesses and limit laptop use at the site – with a cap of one hour on weekdays and a complete ban on weekends.
Chris, who grew up in the Newbury area, said the choice was informed by noticing a difference in the atmosphere of coffee shops overpopulated by laptop users – “It would be a lot quieter and not as nice.
“We wanted the Milk and Bean to have a nice vibe and be somewhere people come to meet and have a chat, especially on weekends which was always the crucial thing to nail business-wise.
“It was something we did from the get-go, but I think we underestimated how different Saturdays and Sundays would be from the rest of the week. Sometimes it’s up to three times as busy as other days.”
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The co-owners occasionally have to remind customers of the rules – “which can be an awkward conversation” – but by and large, they’re met with understanding and the café’s stance on technology hasn’t stood in the way of being named Best Town Centre Business at Newbury Weekly News’ Best in Business Awards in the spring, just seven months after opening.
“Most of the other places that have no laptop rules are quite a lot bigger – we were aware at the start that we didn’t want to put people off because we are still pretty small. It’s just us two during the week and a few part-timers who help on the weekends.
“We were very, very happy with the Best in Business recognition though – a lot of our customers are regular faces now and they’re great. We’re really lucky.”
Reflecting on the last 12 months, the 25-year-old, who had only been with Freya for a year when they launched the business together, said he “absolutely does not” regret taking the plunge.
“It comes with ups and downs as everything does, but… I tend to struggle with recognising my achievements and success. To have it confirmed like this by our customers and the community – we had just wanted to do something for ourselves. I’m very glad we did.”