A rugby star and a county cricket player are all revved up over their new biker friendly coffee shop.
Wales and Lions star George North has teamed up with Glamorgan cricketer Andrew Salter and fellow motorbike fans to launch the shop in the rugby player’s home village of Goytre near Abergavenny.
University friends Sam Daymond and Andrew came up with the idea for Baffle Culture as a way of meeting other people interested in motorcycling, and county planners have now given the go ahead for the venture.
It started as a social media account to share experiences about biking, and with a base at a converted storage space off the A4042 in Goytre it is now proving a popular venue both for coffee and motorcycling.
The five owners – including George, who lives in Goytre with Abergavenny Olympic cycling medallist wife Becky – came together at a charity event – The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride – where they started their journey into owning a cafe.
George is no stranger to cafe culture and sweet treats, as he helps run wife Becky’s successful cake-making business, and even set up an in-house patisserie with the Wales rugby team last Spring when they went on to win the Six
Nations.
The owners have already organised a range of events and hope to use the coffee shop as a platform to break down barriers around men’s mental health.
Mr Daymond said: “We are starting to get a bit of a reputation around coffee as well.
“It’s really nice to see it become a family friendly space where there are children running around, where there are bikers, car enthusiasts and locals.
“I think there’s a stereotype around biker cafes where you have to ride a bike to come in and we are trying to break that down and make it a space where everyone is welcome.”
The opening of the cafe will increase the number of employees from one full-time and four part-time to two full-time and 10 part-time staff.
A council planning report says it will have a “significant economic benefit”, with the venture expected to generate more than £120,000 through visitor expenditure.
The group are raising funds for Blood Bike Wales and Wales Air Ambulance, as well as working with Gwent Police to promote the BikeSafe initiative.
Mr Daymond said they are keen to organise charity events and opportunities for bikers to get together.
“It’s about the ability to jump on a bike and put on a helmet,” he said.
“There are no distractions, it’s just you on the road and it’s a great way to detach from technology and every day life.”
The cafe’s opening hours are 9.30am to 4pm on Tuesday to Friday and 10am to 6pm at the weekend.