A New Direction / Interview
THE COMFORT
ZONE
Interview by Alison Choi
Photography by Jax Walker
In Conversation with George Rendall, founder of Lane Eight Coffee
Meet George Rendall, the owner of Lane Eight Coffee - a design led coffee shop with branches in both Clapham Common and East Dulwich. We caught up with George to discuss entry into the world of coffee, maintaining creative motivation, and the opening of their new branch in the South of London, Clapham Common.
What is the story behind Lane Eight? What prompted you to start your own coffee shop?
George: Before starting Lane Eight I worked as a management consultant in the city. As much as having a salary and stability was nice, that lifestyle wore me down and I could see the same happening to my friends and colleagues. I wanted to start a brand that gave people a break from that pace of life - I love coffee (I previously co-owned a cafe-bar in my early twenties) and love interior design, so it made sense to start a design-led coffee shop brand. After a few months of planning, I took out a loan and opened up our first espresso bar in summer 2019 next to the train station in East Dulwich, south London.
What is the ethos behind Lane Eight?
G: In this city everyone is so stressed out, moving at a million miles an hour and ultimately burning out - our aim is to be an antidote to that, to help people slow down and live calmer lives, or, as we call it, to take the outside lane.
“ Coffee on the high street in London is still dominated by Starbucks, Pret, Costa and co, but specialty coffee is growing here though and is mainly inspired by Antipodean coffee culture, with many of the best shops and roasters founded by Australians and Kiwis. ”
How do you build your own brand culture within the coffee shop? And how do you translate this to your customers and staff (training)?
G: For me, building our brand culture and translating this to our customers and any new hires hinges on our team of baristas - they are the connection between our products and brand, and our customers. Our first priority is hiring great people; we then make sure they are happy, understand and buy into our ethos, are involved in decision making and have all the tools they need to do their job to the best of their ability. If we look after our staff, that tends to translate into consistent high quality product, efficient, friendly service and therefore happy customers.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to someone interested in opening their own coffee shop /pursuing a career in the coffee industry?
G: There are so many careers available in the coffee industry, but from my experience of opening coffee shops, I would suggest to anyone interested in opening their own to run their forecasts past a few people who have been there and done it and who can test their assumptions. If there is a roastery you know you want to work with then approach them, they will be happy to help, if not head to London Coffee Festival or use Instagram to your advantage and reach out for help from a local coffee shop!
You have partnered with different roasters around London for a supply of coffee beans, what inspired this partnership with Assembly?
G: Assembly hit a sweet spot for us. They have a very good (and well-deserved) reputation in the industry for their product, and we have never been let down. They are also just down the road in Brixton and we get on really well with their team, which includes the UK latte art champion and a Coffee Masters finalist so it is great to be in partnership with that sort of expertise.
How would you describe the coffee culture in London?
G: Coffee on the high street in London is still dominated by Starbucks, Pret, Costa and co, but specialty coffee is growing here though and is mainly inspired by Antipodean coffee culture, with many of the best shops and roasters founded by Australians and Kiwis. In line with that, coffee customers here are becoming more educated about coffee - they increasingly want to know the provenance of coffees they are drinking and to try different brew methods. Over the past year or so, lockdown pushed people to get to know their local shops better too - getting a take away coffee was pretty much all we could do for a while - so I feel like the connection between customers and local independents has never been stronger.
The new Lane Eight branch is opening in Clapham Common, the south side of London. What inspired your new location and what are some key elements you consider when deciding a new branch?
G: Our roots are in south London so we felt it was important to stay south of the river. Clapham has always been a very busy part of town that is heavily influenced by Australians and Kiwis; brunch and sit-in coffee are covered here but we felt as though it was missing high quality take away coffee so started looking for sites. In terms of elements we considered, we looked at local prospective customers and if there is a need for our brand and product here, then it came down to the site economics and that is driven primarily by how many coffees we think we can sell vs rent and business rates.
Could you please introduce 3 must-visit places in your neighbourhood?
G: They are our main competition but I am a big fan of Over Under round the corner - they have very nice staff and do great coffee too. Then there is Clapham Common, which is the local park - I would recommend heading there on a Saturday morning for Parkrun if you are into that. Finally, The Old Town Tavern is an old-school pub on the corner of a back-street in Clapham that I recently discovered and am now a regular at!
What does your daily routine look like?
G: Good question! It is a cliche but every day is different - in the first few weeks I was in the new shop every day serving customers, and for a while was moving between the two shops. I am now fully focused on the next steps for the business so I will be on my laptop and out meeting agents and other stakeholders. The common thread is that every day starts early - I will be up at 6-6.30 most days as it is now habitual from working in the coffee shops. The working day will vary but I will usually get some afternoon or evening exercise in - either just a run or some bodyweight training at the park bars.
Are there any daily essentials or must-have you would like to share with our readers?
G: I am a big fan of the Calm app and listen to ‘Skylight Rain’ when I am going to sleep. It definitely helps me drift off especially when I have had too much caffeine, which is quite often...
How do you find inspiration?
G: Day-to-day I find inspiration from podcasts. I love the High Performance Podcast by Jake Humphrey and sports psychologist Damian Hughes - the stories their guests tell are hugely inspiring and relevant to building a business. I also find inspiration from conversations with our team, in particular my new store manager Amily who has been amazing to work with over the past few months.