Camilla Barnard

This month, I am going to solve all political crises. Well, not quite. More accurately, I’m going to offer a way of not worrying about them. Open a café. That’s it.

For most of us at Rude Health, June 2016 will go down not just as the month of the EU referendum, but as the month we opened the Rude Health Café within skipping distance of Putney Bridge tube. There is nothing as effective at taking your mind off theoretical potential national chaos than being totally immersed in the nitty-gritty of getting a new business up and running. The immediate actual chaos is all-consuming and membership of the EU an abstract issue when more till roll is needed in order to sell the next customer a cup of coffee.

Till roll aside, I have a newfound respect for every café and restaurant I go into now. I used to be all about the food and service. Now I’m all over the queuing system and how orders are tracked from the customer to the kitchen and back to the customer. A good café is a complete experience and that’s exactly why we wanted to open a café - there’s only so much connection and community you can create with a pack of food, and a café is about community as much as it’s about food. There is also so much more jeopardy in a café, because it all happens in the moment.

Going from a branded food business to opening a café feels like the food equivalent of getting out of the studio and performing live, with chefs and front-of-house staff instead of roadies, and meals instead of music. The common thrill is the audience satisfaction and interaction. And a major benefit is that now we can really get to know our customers. And equally our customers get to know us, too. We can’t invite buyers and press to a farm or kitchen, but now we can go one better and invite them to our own café, which isn’t so far to travel, and the food’s pretty good. Cheddar and kimchi toastie, anyone?

So in short, my recommendation for dealing with the uncertainties of life is to get on with something all-consuming that you can control. I must stop now as the barista needs espresso spoons, a delivery has vanished, and there’s laundry to sort out. But at least I know where to get a good lunch locally.