Harmonious Society, led by ex-Town skipper Luke Chambers and former midfielder Emyr Huws, has joined forces with Good Supper founders Surrey Rogers and Ben Taylor, and Curve Bar owner Brad Tai, to open a new café at The Curve Bar, serving fresh food from Tuesday to Saturday.
Chambers described the tie-up as “absolutely magical”, saying the reputation Good Inside built “matches our ambitions and our positive vibes, positive mindset that we want to create and have created moving forward”.
Surrey Rogers, Luke Chambers,Brad Tai and Ben Taylor (Image: Tom Cann)
Inside the cafe (Image: Tom Cann)
He added: “With the way that the high street is, hospitality as well at the minute, this is an unbelievable opportunity for everyone to just make something great in Ipswich, because we ultimately believe in it.”
Chambers said the collaboration had come together in a matter of weeks after Harmonious Society’s run clubs and events began working with Curve.
He said: "“We just said you’re not really using the space during the week, so why can’t we come together and do something? So we just went for it."
Luke Chambers, Surrey Rogers, Ben Taylor and Brad Tai (Image: Tom Cann)
The Harmonious Cafe has opened in The Curve Bar (Image: Tom Cann)
He also praised Good Inside for “taking the bull by the horns” to seize the opportunity.
The goal is to turn the venue into a destination for the whole of Suffolk, not just for the run club.
Ms Rogers said she was “so excited” to be back cooking after her previous Good Inside site closed under the strain of rising hospitality costs.
She said: "They have Harmonious Society, which is an amazing lifestyle brand and ethos, and the food that we cook is good, local, wholesome, delicious food,”
Inside the bar and cafe (Image: Tom Cann)
Surrey Rogers, Luke Chambers, Ben Taylor and Brad Tai (Image: Tom Cann)
The cafe will serve breakfasts, brunches and lunches built around local suppliers and a seasonally changing menu.
For Mr Tai, opening Curve Bar in the week is “a no-brainer”.
He said: “You’ve got small independent businesses all combining forces to have a positive impact on the local community.
"It's good coffee and yummy food"
Inside the cafe (Image: Tom Cann)