Press release -
Enjoy speciality coffee with a quirky twist at St Neots station
A couple of coffee lovers are excited to have moved their business into a new, larger space at St Neots railway station.
Rico's Coffee was officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday evening (31 July).
Kate Atkins and Hassan Atta used to run their business from a kiosk at the Great Northern station, but are now trading from a quirky art deco, railway-themed shop in the ticket hall, which they decorated themselves.
The husband and wife team, who have been married for 27 years, are on a mission to make their speciality coffee business as green as possible. They already offer water bottle refills, a discount on people using ‘keep-cups’ and use compostable cups for their drinks, but welcome new suggestions on how to further reduce plastic.
Kate said: “Our children’s influence in trying to be greener has been heeded and we took on their suggestions with enthusiasm.”Parents-of-three Kate and Hassan are proud to be supporting coffee growers in Rwanda by buying from Union Coffee, which promises to pay farmers sustainable prices for high quality coffee.
Kate said: “There are so many varieties and flavours of coffee; it’s like wine in a way. There’s a real science to making the perfect cup of coffee and we think it’s worth having a go. Hassan and I really love good coffee and we also love tea.”
When choosing which coffee to sell from their new premises, Kate, Hassan and their two sons and daughter tried lots of samples from Union Coffee before settling on their favourite, Maraba, which Union Coffee describes as “fruity, full bodied and perfectly balanced.”
Govia Thameslink Railway’s Senior Business Development Manager Anna Kiddle said: “The station has never had a coffee facility with seating until now, so this should provide a welcome opportunity to passengers, with the added benefit of a sunny outside spot.”
Alongside the hot drinks, Rico’s Coffee sell a “mean bacon or sausage bap,” as well as yogurt and granola pots and pastries. The shop is open from 06:00 to 15:00 on weekdays and 08:00 to 15:00 on Saturdays.
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Govia Thameslink Railway
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) operates Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express services as follows:
- Thameslink – cross-London services between Bedford/Peterborough/Cambridge and Brighton/Horsham/Littlehampton/East Grinstead, and between Luton/St Albans and Sutton/Wimbledon/Rainham; plus services between London and Sevenoaks
- Great Northern – services between London and Welwyn, Hertford, Peterborough, Cambridge and King’s Lynn
- Southern – services between London and the Sussex coast (Brighton, Worthing, Eastbourne, Bognor Regis, Hastings) and parts of Surrey, Kent and Hampshire (Ashford International, Southampton, Portsmouth)
- Gatwick Express – fast, non-stop direct services between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria
www.southernrailway.com, www.thameslinkrailway.com, www.gatwickexpress.com, www.greatnorthernrail.com
