When the news broke in August that a Hook based café had been awarded Tripadvisor’s Best of the Best Award, putting them in the top 10% of restaurants worldwide, we couldn’t wait to interview owner and café-guru Jenny Copeland, to talk about the café, the award and how Hartletts fared throughout the dreaded lockdown.
When did Hartletts Café open its doors and what inspired you to open a café in the first place?
I knew that catering would be my career path before even leaving secondary school, and so after 30 fun filled years in the catering industry and some amazing opportunities to work and be mentored and believed in by some of the industry’s most respected chefs and business figureheads, at some of Britain’s prestigious institutions, I always wondered; could I develop a business from nothing and make it into something with my own money, just like some of my mentors?
I saw an opportunity within the community centre refurbishment; with a bit of aspiration, hard work, determination, belief in myself and a supportive push from the family with a confident Hook Parish Council, Hartletts Café opened its doors in April 2015.
I will always remember how nervous I was that Sunday night whilst Hook slept.
How did the lockdown affect your business and how are you managing with the latest social distancing guidelines?
Since COVID-19 hit we have strived to change with the current times with implementation of government guidelines, using sanitizers, the Track and Trace NHS app and reducing our inside seating area, as well as outside space.
During lockdown we had a new website built and offered a whole range of new delights. Our biggest development was our online, full menu, click and collect service where we have adapted with a takeout service available online.
You must be proud to have been awarded the Best of the Best certificate from Tripadvisor, how did you feel receiving the award and what would you say separates you from other cafés?
We looked at our responsibilities within the community and we source our ingredients locally where we can, using the local butcher with locally sourced meats and sausages ensuring we use Seasonal British fruits and vegetables through trusted suppliers, whilst sourcing for specialised work with local businesses. We have always used compostable cups but over the last couple of years to reduce our footprint 94% of our plastics and cups are compostable with 4% being recyclable.
After what has been an unprecedented year for Hartletts Café to achieve the award from Tripadvisor being in the top 10% of the world was just amazing. We are just a little independent café; someone’s dream. It really is just fabulous, to receive recognition from a widely used app such as Tripadvisor makes us incredibly proud, but it wouldn’t be possible without all our customers and travellers passing through so THANK YOU.