Brand stories: Saints Coffee, Stony Stratford
Cafe photography in Northamptonshire
A month or so ago I was lucky enough to work with Nicola and Ben from Saints Coffee, and shoot some images of their new Saints in Stony Stratford.
Today i’m showing off some images whilst telling their story. What I loved about saints was the homely, community feel that they’ve worked hard to create - and this translated beautifully into photography. The images are cosy and relaxed, and perfectly showcase what it’s like to visit.
I highly recommend heading over and checking them out - they deserve every success (and the coffee is amazing!)
What inspired you to open Saints coffee?
We really wanted to try and bring a new and vibrant business to Northampton that we could grow into a brand we take to other towns. It was really important to us that the business was deeply embedded in the community and could give something back as a social enterprise. A coffee shop and cocktail bar seemed like an obvious choice for somewhere people from different walks of life could come together.
What makes the business unique?
Most business owners probably think their business is unique! To us it's about how we're focussed on quality, ethics and social goals at the same time. Whether that's ethically sourced specialty coffee, freshly made food with local ingredients or carefully curated cocktails, it was essential that people wanted to come to Saints Coffee for the products, service and environment on offer. Then we could use that business to drive social projects that give back to the community.
The cafes are absolutely beautiful! You clearly have a great eye for design and finding unique pieces. Where do you get your inspiration from?
A large part of the inspiration was a challenge we set ourselves to source as much as possible from vintage, repurposed and reconditioned goods. Whether it's kitchen equipment or decor we try to stick to this and hopefully this gives cosy and inviting feel to the shops. We want people to feel at ease and as though they could sit for hours. We've also been fortunate enough to experience coffee culture in some of the best places for it - Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and across Europe. We were hoping we could bring a little slice of that to our shops in different towns in the UK.
What’s your favourite thing about running Saints Coffee?
It has to be the people side of things. The vast array of people we get to meet from teams we build to customers to suppliers to the people that join our social and community projects. It's a wonderful range of people and we get to have interesting conversations every day.
What has been your biggest challenge since setting up the business?
Also the people ;) Seriously though it's been what most business owners would say - uncertainty in the economy, challenges around Covid, weekly supplier price changes. There's always something new to keep us on our toes but that's part of running a business!
Business Photography in Northamptonshire
Are you looking for a photographer to showcase your cafe, restaurant or hotel? Then I can help! I LOVE working with all kinds of business owners to help them show off what they do in a beautiful and honest way. My approach is warm and fun and I aim to deliver a bank of useful images that bring your brand to life and help you improve your visibility online. Just click on the button to find out more…