Our Story
Joy Bariana & Anna Vogel founded the Red Brick Cafe in 2010. Here’s how it all began...
Joy and Anna met through various catering jobs and lively festivals, developing a friendship, with an idea to introduce festival food and atmosphere into the community of Bridport and to, consequently, create a sanctuary space for the local community, sharing skills, resources and making friendships.
The Old Albion, situated in St Michaels Vintage Arts Quarter was in the early days of opening when a friend suggested to Sharon, the new leaseholder, that there ought to be a Cafe here on the Estate. The initial thought was to then contact Joy & Anna who they knew were endeavouring to find a home for their Cafe idea local to them in Bridport. Soon after, they were invited to come and take a look at St Michaels. They stumbled upon what was then, a reclamation yard and saw a very different future for this old, empty building. They sought to bring life to this red brick building and create within a beautiful and eclectic Cafe, with the added benefit of a large upstairs space for their children to hang out when the cafe was open. Their children built the strongest bonds of friendship, and to this day all remain friends, or perhaps more like family. The whole of the Red Brick journey has been based on more than friendship, and the family and community that has been fostered within its walls, we all hold close to our hearts.
“Food is our common ground; a universal experience”
- James Beard
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And so, on a shoestring budget, Joy and Anna used their own money to make their cafe. They cobbled together, begged, borrowed and bartered amongst friends. With a whole lot of
good spirit and faith in their ideas, they built a kitchen, a fireplace, tables and sourced chairs, along with various other necessities, upcycling & finding materials wherever they could. As well as being a story of hard work and determination, there is good spirit, humour and sweet memories behind the blood, sweat and tears. One example is that Joy and Anna had not experienced auctions before. The day they attended their first, they saw the perfect fridge, but without knowing the protocol, they consequently started bidding against each other!
The Cafe was created with an ethos and belief of supporting local small farmers and producers, creating a menu with locally sourced and sustainable food, to be considered at an affordable price to the community. Opening with very humble beginnings, they brewed coffee in cafetieres and warmed milk on the stove. Over the years they grew, piece by piece, as the cafe’s community flourished.
In 2011, along came Hayley, introduced to the Cafe by a mutual friend of Joy and Anna's. After years of living abroad in Ireland, the Canaries, and Portugal, Hayley became passionate about world foods. Working in hospitality and textiles since she was 14 years old gave her the experience in a wide range of different cuisine and entertainment.
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Vicky started her catering journey at 18, in a squatted arts centre/café in Reading. She spent over 20 years living off-grid, cooking on open fires and embracing a sustainable lifestyle. After moving to Brittany, she fell in love with French and Breton cuisine. Later, she co-founded a catering business with Joy and Anna called ‘Nettle Pickers’, and in 2013, she became a partner at the café, where she takes pride in bringing people together through food and community.
Shortly following, Hayley was asked to be a partner too, and so the cafe became a cooperative enterprise. With Hayley’s experience in hospitality and Vicky’s expertise in all areas of baking and cooking added to the pot, the cafe grew even more successful, weaving further this story of how four women, all with young children, created so much from so little. As years have passed, the Cafe is now run by Vicky and Hayley, and Joy and Anna have moved on to pursue different paths.