Crewe couple serve up coffee and community at new venture

Life is full of beans for a coffee-loving couple bringing a host of new community activities to Crewe.

Josh Wenlock, 30, and Laura Donaldson, 28, are loving every minute of running Big Mugs coffee house on Edleston Road which has become a go-to not only for drinks and food but a range of social activities.

The young couple, who previously worked in hospitality, have introduced Knit and Natter 10am on Wednesdays, a games night hosted by Gumshoe Comics and Collectibles after-hours from 6pm-9pm on Thursdays – and now a new Book Club every last Sunday of the month.

Josh told One Crewe: “A year or so ago we hit on the idea of a coffee shop. We have both worked in Crewe in the hospitality sector for years, originally meeting each other working at a hotel.

“Then Laura was working at a café and I was working at a cinema when we decided to start Big Mugs. It was a leap of faith but we both love coffee and love taking the opportunity to try a new coffee shop or cafe whenever we can.

“At the time, we’d recently travelled central Europe, enjoying some beautiful independent coffee houses in Czechia and Poland especially – with unique menus, books lining the walls, and a cool but cosy atmosphere. We really wanted to see more of that vibe in our area.

“We had recently both moved from previous jobs, so we thought it was a perfect time to strike out on our own and put some of this inspiration to good use, building the coffee house of our dreams!”

The pair were thrilled to achieve a 5-star food hygiene rating in June. Hot on the heels of that they won Crewe and Nantwich MP Connor Naismith’s Small Business of the Month award.

Food includes Paninis and home-baked cakes and light bites such as sourdough crumpets and toasted bloomers.

Customers can sip their brews while playing board games. From lattes to flat whites, the couple serve hundreds every week with customers praising the taste and ‘chilled out’ atmosphere. So far the current top–seller is a latte.

Big Mugs has a low-waste ethos with pre-loved furniture and milk locally-sourced and delicious coffee from Cherry Red, Congleton.

Laura added: “We’re thrilled to introduce our new Book Club. The reading material, which is voted for by participants every session, has a rough max of 300 pages, so it’s easy for most people to keep up.

“Our participants are easy-going and anyone is welcome to drop in to any session, as the chosen book is posted on our Facebook and Instagram.”

They encourage reading enthusiasts to buy second-hand books or digital copies.

So this new chapter is proving enjoyable for Josh and Laura? “It’s all very encouraging! We’ve had overwhelmingly positive feedback from customers and gained a lot of regulars who keep us going and bring a smile to our faces.”

For big-tasting coffee and a BIG warm welcome visit Big Mugs at 251 Edleston Road, Crewe CW2 7EA