THE BARNABY BLOG - More than just a cafe: reflecting on 14 years in the cafe business - Friday 16 January 2026

rob72401
3 days ago
3 min read

Hello New Malden!

More Than Just a Cafe

I thought I was opening a cafe to be my own boss. But I realize now I've been fighting for something much bigger: space for people to actually be together.

Our first cafe Tried & True in Putney opened on this day in 2012. 14 years ago! When we opened Tried & True I didn't fully understand what we were building. 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 and 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.

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. Our daughter Clara was just weeks old when we opened — suddenly I wasn't just building a business, I was building a future for my family. And there were people like 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.

Over time, we grew and evolved. An amazing team came on board, customers became friends, and this place became what I'd hoped it would be — somewhere that mattered to people.

But as we grew, the world around us was changing too. The hospitality landscape has shifted dramatically. And it's only recently — facing what sometimes feel like insurmountable odds — that I've started to understand why this matters. Why places like Barnaby & Boo's 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 Barnaby & Boo's? 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. And let's not forget the dogs!

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

So here's to Barnaby & Boo's, where you've all been part of something that's made this corner of our community more social, more local, more alive. 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, Amanda, Barnaby & Boo.

Check out these awesome gift ideas on shop.barnabyandboos.co.uk

Featuring t shirts, hoodies, mugs, totes and more to come! Click on the images below to browse and select sizes, and colours.

If you'd like something specific or customized please get in touch!

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