Inside the top-rated Shrewsbury coffee shop and ‘community hub’ now granted outdoor seating as weather warms
The owners of a top-rated Shrewsbury coffee shop are inviting customers to enjoy a coffee in the sun as they launch their new outdoor seating area.
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Family-run House Coffee Co opened its doors in Coleham, Shrewsbury, in May 2017 by married couple Sam Jewell and Steven Clarke.
The coffee shop, which serves a range of fresh brunch items, light lunch bites and a selection of hot drinks, has become a “hub” for the local community, Sam told the Shropshire Star.
Located just outside the couple's other business, The Allotment, which is just three doors down from the coffee shop, Sam said he hopes its new permanent outdoor seating space will be a much-loved addition to the local area.
The coffee shop owner said: “It's just really helpful for us because we're on a road and we can only seat eight people outside our coffee shop.
“This outdoor seat lets us have another 40 seats, which is a big increase for us.
“It does help us give us that extra option of people sitting outside in the warmer months and it helps us keep our customers.”
Sam said the business, which has received much love from locals and tourists alike, was a lifelong “dream" of his.
It all fell into place when he met his partner, who had made the move down from Manchester.
And in just two years, the business was ready to expand.
Sam explained: “In December 2019, the opportunity came up to take on the shop next door.
“So we took on the shop next door and knocked through the two shops together because of the demand of the shop itself.
“When we first started, we only had 14 seats. Now we can fit 64 people.
“It was just the two of us for a long time, and now we have a team of 10 people working for us full-time.”
The ability to expand time and again is all thanks to the “incredible” support shown by the people of Coleham and Shrewsbury.
“We’re very close to the centre of town, but we're also in our own little community hub.
“It's really easy, accessible from people visiting the town, but we're very much a community hub for the residents and businesses around us.
“We very much just pride ourselves on looking after that local community and getting involved with people.
“We have really spent a lot of time getting to know all of our customers and making it feel really warm and welcoming for everyone - that's always been our ethos.
“Everyone is like part of our family, and that's kind of what the name is. It's kind of like, ‘come to our house’ type of thing. You come to our living room and sit and chat with us - it’s really great.”
Sam continued: “We wouldn't be where we are today without all of the customers that come out and support us.
“We wouldn't have been able to expand the coffee shop and The Allotment.
“We do get it quite tough, because we're in a flood zone as well. So we have flooded five times since 2020 in the coffee shop.
“That constant support and the backing of me and Steven has helped us to get to where we are today.
“We love the business and we love the customers and we love what we do, but we wouldn't be where we are if it wasn't for them - and that is our highlight, just being part of being part of the local community and them supporting us.”
