This coming Saturday I’ve volunteered to run the Grove Park Theatre coffee morning. It’s been taking place for years now and is a bit of an institution! It offers a space for GPT members and the general public to get together over a hot beverage to chat about all things theatrical. Or anything, really.
I used to help out a lot when I was Catering Manager (many moons ago), but I’ve taken a back seat recently – after all, what working person doesn’t like their lie-in on a weekend? But our current Catering Manager, quite rightly, doesn’t want to turn up every week herself; we’re a voluntary society, so we do like to see people volunteer for the odd thing. And so a list remains pinned to the noticeboard for like-minded, helpful souls to tick and commit to doing the odd Saturday. And this week it’s my turn…
Coffee morning takes place in the Theatre’s lounge bar and is open from 10.30am to 12.30pm every Saturday. This coincides with Box Office opening times, so anyone coming in to buy tickets can pop upstairs and grab a quick drink to tide them over before heading back to the shops. Our brews are nothing fancy, but a lot cheaper than some of the chain coffee bars that proliferate in the town. Not to mention there’s the kind of small, friendly vibe you just don’t get in large corporate spaces…
So, what’s on offer? We serve:
- Filter coffee – quite strong, which suits those like myself who need a good caffeine fix in the morning – but if you prefer something with a little less ‘zing’, we can water it down for you.
- Tea – basic black tea and a varying selection of herbal/fruit teas.
- Hot chocolate – at least, I think we do – I’ll check on Saturday!
- A selection of biscuits and cereal bars.
All coffee and biscuits are Fairtrade, and I’m conscious of my own ignorance that I don’t know whether the tea is too. There’s clearly a lot for me to remember, but I hope that when I hop back into the kitchen on Saturday it will all come flooding back. Cups are one size only (no fancy sounding variations that make you wonder what a ‘large’ is… they’re all large!), and current prices are £1.20 for coffee and 70p for tea. As I said, basic – but sometimes basic is just what you need.
(On a side note, I’d love us to start getting a bit more specialist produce in – maybe some local treats or new Fairtrade varieties. So I’m going to have a nosy around a few outlets and see if I can source anything particularly tasty that will go well with a morning cuppa. Drop me a line in the comments below if you know of something you’d like to see!)
If you’re not a member of the Theatre, don’t feel put off! The coffee mornings provide an excellent way to come along and find out a bit more about what we do. The Membership Secretary often meets new faces there, to show them around and give them an introduction to the people, the departments and the facilities – and there’s usually a good crowd of existing members there for newbies to meet and chat with. It’s certainly a different way to spend your Saturday morning.
So, this weekend sees me getting my (metaphorical) apron on, brewing that coffee and nibbling those biscuits. Will I see you there?
The Cat at the Theatre Door 