A Coleford venue which runs as a coffee shop during the day transforms into a sophisticated, live music and entertainment venue in the evening is gaining a growing fan base for its unique dual life.

‘The Art of Coffee’ which has been open for three years in the heart of Coleford is well known as a place to relax and enjoy a great coffee and for many of its customers has become a “home away from home.”

General manager Scott James said: “I was really inspired by venues in New York in the 1960s which became a centre for folk musicians and entertainment.”

“We decided the best plan was to run a coffee shop in the day but with live music and a lively cocktail bar in the evenings and is seem to have proved popular. We even bought a piano which is used a lot at our live events,” he said.

The coffee shop also frequently changes its menu and has also attracted the services of a local artist who has created seasonally themed artwork for the front window .

The daytime coffee shop is well known in the Forest for its own blend of coffee which is organic, Fairtrade and palm oil free. Over the past three years the venue has become increasingly popular not only for its great food and drinks but for the relationships Scott and his team have built within the community which they feel is so important.

“One thing we’ve tried to do is to make the shop a home away from home for customers - the staff here are so good and are well trained in making eveyone feel comfortable,” said Scott

Originally evening entertainment was just on offer on Fridays and Saturdays but has grown in popularity and with acts booked in advance the dates are increasing in frequency.

Some people who have played at the coffee shop have travelled from far afield, with a memorable act from last summer hailing from Nashville. As their appearance fell on July 4 - Independence Day Scott designed a special American themed menu for the night, which went down well with customers.

Scott explained that one of the challenges of having entertainment in the evening was getting the different licenses sorted alongside deciding what food to have on the menu to appeal to a wide range of tastes”

‘Everything has been a learning curve but everyone enjoys working here as the people you meet become your friends as most of the people come in here every day.” Scott added.

He explained that while they often struggle with seating but particularly in the evenings as it gets quite busy he is determined to never charge for the events. “It’s always free as I never wanted to create an impediment for people coming in and enjoying their evening out,” said Scott who added that they do rearrange the tables in the evenings to make it mor like a concert setting, with candles on the tables to create a pleasant atmosphere for the audience.

The Art of Coffee has a growing mailing list which is used to publicise forthcoming events which already goes out to more than 300 regular customers.

“One thing we have found now is that we get private hires nearly every weekend where people are able to come in a hire out the entire venue. It has been used for birthday parties, and many more events,” said Scott.

“The Art of Coffee” has done a lot for the community and has recently set up a book club. Scott explained “ We realised a lot of our customers were new to the area and sometimes didn’t know many people in the town or have a big friendship circle. The group has been going on a few months, and it has been busy with people making new friends and local authors using it to launch their new books.”

Another thing which makes The Art of Coffee unique the art works which have been created by staff members and which are displayed around the shop. These range from ceramics, floral displays and even jewellery which has been featured in Vogue magazine.

Scott explained: “Everyone who works here is kind of artsy and crafty and I think that's what gave as an arty edge, but it was just by chance really.”

Scott prides himself on the shop’s community involvement and explained: “We try to get involved with the council and the way things operate in the town. We go to council meetings as getting involved in the community is something we love to do. We have also given vouchers every year to local schools and charities in the local area to help them out.”

He is also always keen to source the shop’s produce locally to help support other businesses in the area.

The Art of Coffee has also become a popular spot with people working remotely and Scott said: “We have people who come here, and work and they stay all day and in that way it's very relaxed.”

For Scott, having a happy team is also important and he recognises that for many of his staff, this is their first job and he enjoys watching them grow into independent, skilled workers who are very proud of what they do.

Future plans for the ‘The Art of Coffee’ include a “Food and Arts Festival” which is happening on May 4 and a Bank Holiday event in August details of which will be announced soon. “There are always ideas floating around,” laughed Scott.

“The event is being held in collaboration with some other local businesses and the road will be closed off and there will be a stage outside the front door with music which still needs to be organised,” said Scott

“We like to think the Art of Coffee is at the heart of the community. It’s a lot of fun; it's quite an exciting environment and people seem to love coming here, we love seeing them and I think it's a good place for them to come,” he said.