SERIES ONE – EDITION TWO
In the second edition in the Faces behind the business series we caught up with Fay Bennett, aged 19, Barista & content creator for Kirkby Coffee; a hot drinks and snacks stall.
When did you first get into the industry?
I worked in hospitality alongside my school studies and always pictured myself having my own business, it was just a matter of what industry? We have had a professional coffee machine at home for years and I have woken up to the smell of coffee for as long as I can remember. Coffee brings people together making conversations flow and this is an experience I knew I would love to be involved in.
How long have you worked at Kirkby Coffee and what is your job role?
Kirkby Coffee opened on 22nd February 2020. What a time to start a business; a Global Pandemic was certainly a challenge for everyone and meant we had to close for ten weeks. This was something we didn’t anticipate happening in our first month of business but we were delighted to open back up on 2nd June to get back to doing what we love.
Primarily my role is a Barista, handcrafting delicious coffees and providing the best quality service to our customers. Then behind the scenes, I manage our social media, create content, meet with suppliers and source our stock, handle the figures and finances and everything else you can think of that comes with running your own business.
What is Kirkby Coffee’s ethos?
Customer Commitment – Our customers are at the heart of our business and therefore everything we do.
Ethical Responsibility – We strive to be as ethical, sustainable and supportive as we can. Our coffee is fair-trade and roasted locally on Merseyside and our cakes and cookies are supplied by local businesses. Our packaging is recyclable and biodegradable in effort to be as green as we can.
Quality and Inclusivity – We have something for everyone: stock a range of dairy-free milk alternatives, offer children’s options and are dog friendly.
What’s the best bit of advice you could give to anyone looking at working in your line of work?
A smile goes along way.
What do you love most about Liverpool?
The sense of community. We see this everyday at the market with a strong sense of community between traders and customers and we absolutely love working in this friendly environment. This is also evident throughout Liverpool, scousers are renowned for being the friendliest people and look out for each other like no one else. We are like one big family and it feels like everyone knows everyone a lot of the time. Liverpool is a small world and that is what we love.
If you could describe your business in 3 words what would they be?
Friendly, Ethical and Inclusive.
You can check out more information about Kirkby Coffee on Instagram @kirkbycoffee
Are you a business in the Liverpool City Region and want to feature in our Faces Behind the Business series? Contact us now by emailing hello@explore-liverpool.com or get us on WhatsApp on 07568 532 537
