ADVERTORIAL - It’s a local brew, my bru

Something is brewing in the old Bijou theatre in Lower Main Road.

It is now home to Run Rabbit Run Coffee Roastery. The Bijou, formerly a cinema, is also the working home to local resident and blacksmith Conrad Hicks, Ferral Surfboards, the AfrikaBurn offices and a number of independent artists.

Philip Brink, self-taught coffee roaster, also runs the espresso bar on weekday mornings from the foyer of the Bijou.

With its curved bar, old movie posters and original marble flooring, the space still retains a feel of the old cinema. Philip said: “We’ve tried to keep the space reminiscent of how some locals may still remember it. The roastery can again become the spot for locals to meet up, to drink great coffee and get freshly roasted coffee for their homes and offices.”

In contrast to Woodstock with its highly priced specialty coffees, Run Rabbit Run offers far greater value, but not at the expense of quality or supply chain ethics.

Philip explained that offering value in roasted coffee generally means using cheap mixed coffees, which lowers quality and traps vulnerable coffee farmers in poverty.

Run Rabbit Run avoids this morass by trading directly with original producers, like The Longmiles Coffee Project in Burundi.

Great coffee and conversation is currently all you get but food is also coming later in the year.

Philip still runs the place by himself so the espresso bar closes at midday to allow him time to roast and deliver to customers. And he’ll deliver free to anyone on Obs.

Contact Run Rabbit Run Coffee Roastery philipbrink@telkomsa.net, www.runrabbitrun.co.za 076 190 2626.

Find the Run Rabbit Run Coffee at The Bijou 178 Lower Main Road. Operating Times: 8am to 12pm, Deliveries after 1pm.