The Golden Cup Cafe
I am passionate about good coffee, cake and as a trained jeweller I adore gold, and it was these passions that started the Golden Cup Cafe.
I am passionate about good coffee, cake and as a trained jeweller I adore gold, and it was these passions that started the Golden Cup Cafe.
There is something about walking into the historic Town Hall that breathes culture and standing in time, and I wanted to make a cafe for our Arts Fair that took you to somewhere frivolous, of a time gone by and bringing the best from the British Potteries together. It needed to be a statement of intent and like no other Arts Fair cafe, or indeed any other cafe!
Over the years of curating CONTEMPORARY ARTS FAIR DISCOVER:GATHER:GIVE I collected a myriad of vintage china from British makers such as Royal Vale, Duchess, Colclough, Grovener, Wedgewood and shimmering gold lustre teapots from Saddler, Royal Worcester, Royal Winton Grimwades, Gibson, Halls and Arthur Wood to use in the Cafe to make it something really special for our visitors and exhibitors.
Many visitors photograph the china display and ask if I would rent out the collection and I always decline as the joy of the vintage china and teapots is to make the CONTEMPORARY ARTS FAIR DISCOVER:GATHER:GIVE really special and a sumptuous event.
I am constantly looking for new pieces and each year as my collection grows so does the variety of designs; however I stay true to my remit – it has to be gold.
The cafe has a lovely welcoming atmosphere where visitors meet with friends each day as the Arts Fair is free entry, buyers decide what they are buying and for whom, exhibitors stock up on coffee and cake, and discussions are had as to which is the best tasting cake after a second piece….
Our fabby cafe also inspired painter Claire Henley, “I had a large, deep wooden panel from Jackson’s that reminded me of a table top, so I decided to paint the Golden Cup Cafe that is a feature at every Contemporary Arts Fair Discover:Gather:Give.
In addition to the art, Judith the curator has also curated a vast collection of faux gold tea pots, cups, saucers and plates on which to serve refreshments – a really magnificent sight. The cake is an even more magnificent sight of course, and here I am doing a quality control check.”
The coffee is hand roasted by Monsoon Estates Roastery from Alscot just outside of Stratford. Chris and Anne describe ‘What started out as a genuine quest to find a good cup of coffee lead us to where we are now; roasting and selling our own coffee.’ I believe it to be the best coffee you can find. For more information pop over to https://www.monsoonestatescoffee.co.uk