Let's begin.

As today is our second birthday, it stands to reason that our blog should launch in celebration, and help us to mark the occasion appropriately.

Having said that, trying to work out what to write has been something of a challenge. I haven't had to write anything for quite some time now (besides coffee orders and a couple of sentences for social media), and it’s not coming especially easily to me. Perhaps I need to consult a professional, or at least get some pointers to try and help me swerve writing nonsensical musings or inane waffle - I already feel I'm starting well here.

As if by magic, whilst pondering who to consult about such things, it springs to mind that I do, in fact, serve coffee to a professional writer. A lovely chap he is too. Which then got me to thinking about some of the other fabulous people I’ve served in the last couple of years. So for the first blog post, I thought I’d pay my thanks to some of the customers who have made the initial 730 days of trading such a joy. I must apologise to anyone I’ve missed - if I were to thank everyone, I’d be here for days and it has already been a very long Tuesday. I shall keep identities anonymous and they are in no particular order, but I do appreciate each and every person who has been through the door, bought a card or had a coffee. You are all magnificent.

Thank you to:

• My bakery girls (and singular decaffeinated man) thank you for letting me hang out with you even though you’re all so much cooler than me

• My lovely tornado lady (I will be wrapping you in bubble wrap any day now) and her ‘long-suffering’ partner, who always gives as good as he gets and has some of the best stories - I keep telling him to write a book, I wish he’d get on with it!

• The tennis ladies and gents - may your Mondays always be fair weathered and your seating always be available

• A particular married couple who have a fondness for shortbread biscuits and labradors who make me laugh and bring joy to my soul whenever I see them

• An absolute goddess of a woman who is slowly but surely taking over the world with  combination of adaptive and reflective talking therapy services and an infectious laugh

• A ‘salad' fan with the most beautiful schnauzer ever to grace the earth and a love for caffiene that rivals my own

• The most hard working and dedicated community nurse I've ever met, who is incidentally responsible for us now having 16oz drinks available because she needed more caffeine in her day (although we now agree 4 shots is slightly too far)

• An occasionally vocal patterdale with the most majestic ears in the Leicestershire area and her devoted human mummy

• Another couple who have the responsibility of walking a very vocal, croissant obsessed cloud around the village on the regular basis and require regular sustenance in the form of lattes - I am happy to oblige as often as required, as long as I can pet the cloud occassionally

• The London lad who likes his lattes extra hot and once misplaced Europe on a miniature globe (bless)

• A style icon who likes her daily fix of decaf lattes and is a menace on a mobility scooter (and revels in it)

• A flat white aficionado with a mild to moderate crochet aversion

• The power couple who - as I’ve told them directly - are the absolute coolest people ever, and yes I do keep a signed CD under the counter and fan girl over both of them regularly

• An absolute treasure of a lady whose voice I could listen to for hours. She could read me the manual for a dishwasher and I would be in heaven. Large americano with cold milk on the side is it?

So that’s just a few off of the top of my head, but there are so many more. Whilst in this soppy and reflective mood, I’ll finish off by thanking a few more people, and then I shall shuffle off to celebrate by snuggling the dog and making the cat jealous.

Thank you to my mother, without whom I should surely crumble on a daily basis.

Thank you to mon ami, without whom the whole enterprise would not exist, and I would still be sat in an office with no natural light, reeling of six digit numbers and colour coding spreadsheets for no one to look at.

Thank you to my globe-trotting wonder woman colleague with the great hair and even better attitude - you inspire me in ways you cannot even comprehend.

Thank you to my former Saturday girl and soon-to-be General Manager, who keeps me grounded and in a perpetual state of laughter. One of the greatest young people I've ever known or worked with, not that she believes me.

Thank you to my husband. He’s not a bad egg.

Thank you to the Beauty Room girls for tolerating me for 2 years - I’m sorry for the singing.

Thank you to Ginger - I’m so sorry we got a dog.

Thank you to Arlo - but please be nicer to your sister.

Next post will be slightly less niche - a review of our first every gallery opening on Thursday 12th June. Bet you can’t wait.

B x