BOB's BLOG - Seriously interesting musings on all things brunch & beyond.14 Years of Tried & True - Friday 16 January 2026

Tried & True - Week 1 new signage and graphics - 20 January 2012

Greetings T&T VIPS!

Fourteen Years of Tried & True - Friday 16 January 2026

I thought I was opening a cafe to be my own boss. Fourteen years later, I realise I've been fighting for something much bigger: space for people to actually be together.

When we opened in 2011, I was terrified. I didn't know who we were or what we were really trying to do. What I thought I wanted was independence — to run my own show, call my own shots. What I was actually chasing, without fully understanding it, was a feeling. The feeling of the New Zealand cafe scene I'd loved but left behind: friends lingering over coffee, conversations spilling between tables, a place that felt like life was happening.

I had no idea what the journey would demand.

Fourteen years ago, on a freezing Monday morning, reality hit me hard. We'd done everything right—or so we thought. The shop was ready (apart from our signage), the stock was in, the glass on the door was clean. We threw it open that first morning and stood there, expectant. Waiting for the rush. Waiting for validation that all those months of planning, all that investment, all that risk would pay off.

We waited.

And then we waited some more.

Eventually, almost out of desperation, we flagged down our first customer—a local mum navigating the pavement with her pram. We made our first sale. A few more curious locals popped in throughout the day. My friend Tim popped by with flowers and a card to offer love and encouragement. By the end of the day we had £54.36. That was it. That was the day.

Standing there after we'd locked up that evening, I had the strangest feeling wash over me. This wasn't the triumphant opening I'd imagined during all those sleepless nights of preparation. This was something else entirely. Something harder. Something that would demand more of me than I'd ever anticipated.

I'd just built my own prison, I thought, and today was day one of my sentence.

Those early days were tough. The doubt was constant. But there were lifelines. My wife Amanda believed in this dream even when I didn't, supporting us through the uncertainty and long hours. Six weeks after we opened, our daughter Clara was born — suddenly I wasn't just building a business, I was building a future for my family. And then there was my friend Terry See, who'd pop in those quiet early mornings to buy a coffee and keep me company. Sometimes that one friendly face was enough to keep me going.

But over the subsequent days, weeks and years, we grew and evolved.

Key people came on board in those early years: Nikki Ferretto on the coffee machine, Don Lauder on the floor; Patrick Knight (Paddy) joined as manager in April of 2013; Tugsu, Livia and Baagi in the kitchen. Anna, Jekan and Martien formed an efficient and resilient kitchen team and we really started taking off. Anita, Rhiann, Said, Alberto, Carlixta are just some of the many team members who've been part of the T&T story over the years. Then Felipe joined us in the kitchen shortly before Covid and Nicole shortly after. Vanessa shines now as our assistant manager. I'm so fortunate to have such an amazing team and I'm so proud of them. There are too many to name, sorry if I've forgotten anybody! I'm sure you've all had your favourites!

We won national awards for our Pulled Pork Benedict and took home Best Family Friendly Restaurant, Best Coffee Shop and Local Restaurant of the Year in the Time and Leisure Awards.

There have been customers who became friends, and customers who tested every ounce of patience I had. Team members who believed when I wasn't sure I believed anymore. Friends and family who propped me up when the weight of it felt impossible. And through it all, a cold disinterest from policymakers who seemed to think small neighborhood cafes were quaint but disposable.

But as we grew, the world around us was changing too. The hospitality landscape has shifted dramatically in fourteen years. And it's only recently — facing what sometimes feel like insurmountable odds — that I've started to understand why this matters. Why places like Tried & True aren't just nice to have, but necessary.

We think we're more connected now than ever. But look around. We're more isolated than we've been in generations. People aren't just working from home — they're eating at home, entertaining at home, barely leaving except when absolutely necessary. Our devices promise connection but deliver the opposite. They've made us less able to listen, less resilient, more focused on ourselves.

And the moment anything becomes "all about me," we've lost the plot.

Because everything we actually care about in life is play. Sports, comedy, books, clubs, a night out at your local or around a friend's kitchen table. Even building and running a business — though it doesn't always feel like it — is play.

Play is upstream of communication. It's how we understand each other, how we create, how we move forward together. You can't play alone on your phone the same way you play when you're actually present with other people.

What does play look like at Tried & True? The regular interactions, the in-jokes, the unexpected connections, neighbours and old friends bumping into each other for the first time in ages, the offers of help and collaboration, the moments when people put their phones down and actually engage with each other.

Social media promised to make us more social. Instead, it's done the opposite.

So here's to fourteen years of Tried & True, where you've all been part of something that's made this tiny corner of West Putney more social, more local, more alive. It's been a significant chunk of my life, and I honestly don't know what comes next.

But I do know what matters: Play. Connection. Being together in the same physical space.

Thanks for playing with us. Here's to whatever comes next.

Rob & the Tried & True Team

PS Happy 2nd Birthday to our youngest team member Andrey who shares his birthday with the cafe.  Have a great day!

Baby Clara enjoying a T&T beverage c. 2013

Looking for a unique gift?

You may have seen that we've been adding to our retail lines at Tried & True with our Rookery Farm Organic Eggs, Sevenseeded Breads, Alt Milks, T&T Totes and Tshirts, T&T Diner Mugs and a wide range of Specialty Coffee and Brewing Equipment available to purchase.

We've added a variety of artisan products including Olive Oils, Dressings, Chutney, Hot Sauce. Let us know if there's anything you'd like us to source.

We've also expanded our range through our webshop hosted at shop.barnabyandboos.co.uk

Here you'll be able to select some exclusive new items including ceramic coffee mugs featuring Rachel Hunt Designs and our new T&T Original Brunch T Shirt. A perfect gift available in two colours and multiple sizes.

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