There isn't much that could persuade us to leave our homes in this weather - but the promise of good strong coffee and smashed avocado toast on chunky fresh bread definitely does the trick. Tucked away on Pemberton Street by a busy roundabout is Nottingham's newest addition to the food scene.
The Spirit Society Cafe and Bar is the creation of Charles Anthony Reid and his partner. The cafe and bar is a complete change from the events company, Rhubarbar, they have been running prior to this and this is their first venture into a physical venue.
The cafe and bar has a unique business model in that it is underneath student accommodation in the city. The team run deliveries throughout the building including to the private rooftop garden.
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"We are a family-run business and we also own an events company and a catering business. Our business started in 2017 when we started doing events and everything mobile where we would take the whole party atmosphere to someone's house," Charles said.
"We developed that during lockdown where we did garden parties, cocktail deliveries then we moved into food. Having worked in this industry for a very long time, especially in Nottingham, I got to know a lot of people and friends. The owners of this place were looking for a cafe to move in as Sans Patrie was here before us."
He added: "We wouldn't normally go for bricks and mortar so we were cautious as it's a lot of work, especially in the first year. There are over 90 apartments here so we have a captive audience - this is a nice place to get a start. It's quite an easy set-up to do so we thought why not go for it?"
As the venue had already been a bar, there was minimal set up, meaning Spirit Society was ready to open in just over a month. They have been open for three months after giving the place a bit of a makeover.
"We started the work at the end of October and we were in by late November. Renovations weren't hard at all as the tables were part of the environment already so we took our inspiration from the colour scheme, added the playful animals and put flowers in. We just had to fill the bar and we already had the kitchen in so we just had to move in the stock and clean everything. Normally a bar would take months of work," he said.
The concept for Spirit Society started during the lockdown as a way for people to order cocktails, spirits and organise masterclasses when allowed. The team have carried this into the cafe and bar through masterclasses, wine and cheeseboard nights as well as gin or whiskey tasting evenings.
The menu is a collection of brunch and lunch classics such as smashed avocado on chunky fresh bread with a sprinkle of pistachio nuts for a twist. Pizza is given a spicy upgrade with jalapenos, peppers and chilli, while there are plenty of breakfast options like shakshuka ready to be mopped up with bread.
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