Lindsay Beckett, co-owner of Florey Café alongside Tracy Postill, sums up the latest addition to her impressive resume of cafés: “Even when it’s busy, it’s calm.” It’s a quiet Saturday at Florey – rain is pattering against the terrace steps, the baristas are conversing over the cake display, and all sorts of characters, from energetic toddlers to graduating doctors, have waltzed in and out. It’s a testament to the eclectic community that Lindsay and Tracy have already begun to nurture at Florey, only two weeks since it first opened at Gonville and Caius’ Harvey Court site on July 12th.

What is your role at Florey?

So, for context, we have just taken over Harvey’s, which we have renamed Florey. I have a hospitality background. I own the Orchard Tea Garden in Grantchester and Flock Café in Burwash Manor. My business partner, Tracy, has a background in marketing. At the moment, my role is operational, while Tracy focuses on rebranding the café.

What compelled you to establish Florey?

There’s so much opportunity here to do something new, which really excites me. For me, the site’s biggest selling point was the garden. I love the indoor-outdoor feel, and this space mirrors that perfectly.

Personally, I really enjoy working in hospitality. I love having places to go, having a staff and meeting the people - so many of my friends are people I’ve met through Flock and the Orchard Tea Garden.

“We were trying to come up with something that could be affiliated with Gonville and Caius, and Sir Howard Florey was the name we kept coming back to”

What is the reason behind the name Florey?

We were trying to come up with something that could be affiliated with Gonville and Caius, and Sir Howard Florey (Nobel Prize winning alumnus) was the name we kept coming back to. It was the favourite of everyone we spoke to, even if the namesake wasn’t immediately clear.

What have been your favourite interactions with customers so far?

People have been really nice, kind and welcoming. It’s been great to meet some of the few students still around Cambridge, especially those who already have a rapport with some of our baristas retained from Harvey’s. It’s lovely to meet people here for only transitory periods too - from summer school groups to wedding guests.

It’s been really nice chatting to people and hearing their stories, and to explain our vision to regulars who have been coming here since Harvey’s Coffee House.

What will the café look like for students returning in October?

Aesthetically, we’re hoping to decorate in phases, bringing in greenery, artwork and a soft colour palette. We want the café to feel comfortable, not simply functional. We’re also aware of the demand for savoury food on-site, especially at lunch hour, so we’re hoping to get a food offering off the ground by the start of term. We’d initially like to start out with takeaway sandwiches, salads and maybe even soup for the winter.

What three words or phrases would you use to describe Florey?

That’s a tough question, you’ll have to let me sit on that one.

Instead, one of the baristas, Alessandra, offered her thoughts: welcoming, safe haven, and great coffee.

What do you want Florey to mean to people?

I’m really, really mindful that it continues to be a community space. And, I really hope that our customer base will be a mix of locals and students. Generally, I think food always brings people together. I definitely feel that at my other cafés, and coffee has the same effect. I think it’s really important for people to have somewhere to go - I hope that within these spaces, other people can feel that too. Places to go, meet each other, eat and chat. That’s my favourite thing about working in hospitality.

If I’m ever having a bad day, I always know that I can go into one of my spaces and end up having a conversation that changes my day - I’m the type of person to seek that out. It’s really nice to create spaces that others take the same feeling from.

From the few afternoons already spent here, I’m reassured that Harvey Court has been infused with new life and vibrancy. Florey Café embraces you from the moment you step through the door: the menu is familiar, and the community is friendly, as staff and customers alike jump into conversations they overhear from across the room. If you happen to visit the city this summer, consider adding this spot to your itinerary.