We’re delighted to launch the first of 3 promotional videos … this one showing just how good it could be to work remotely at Cafe Allez! Belvoir Castle during the week.

After all… we offer the views, the coffee, the sustenance and (arguably!) the welcome that you’re unlikely to get at home or in the office…

You can view the video on YouTube or on the Cafe Allez! Facebook page – and at this point I would like to thank two talented people, David Phillips-Peters and Simon Wilkinson-Blake, for making this happen. David is a fine and versatile actor, Simon is a talented director and producer and we couldn’t be happier with the results.

So : back to our suitability as a venue for remote working. Our wifi is fast and free. Our coffee is reasonably fast and incredibly good. And we also offer charging points for your ‘phone or laptop.

I used to work from home quite a bit in my previous (corporate) existence … Mars being quite a forward thinking company, it really embraced the concept, to the extent that we had to ‘hot desk’ in the office and were given leading technology to enable us to connect quickly with colleagues if working from home, although the introduction of Skype did necessitate the occasional change out of the pyjamas / dressing gown.

I could do more work in 3 hours at home than in a day in the office due to the lack of interruptions, but I won’t pretend it wasn’t a lonely experience. The house started to feel quite small and the lack of company, Missy the cat excepted, made me yearn for the buzz and chatter of the office on occasion.

We are, ultimately, social creatures and when the human connection is lacking, the day can feel empty. I firmly believe that’s why most of us would rather see a film at the cinema than at home… it’s about more than the big screen and the popcorn, it’s about sharing the experience and going through the same emotional journey as others, in the same moment, even if you don’t happen to know those sitting around you.

A good coffee shop should offer that exact same experience: at Cafe Allez! Belvoir Castle, we may not always know your name, we certainly won’t interrupt your work! – but we also hope to provide that welcoming environment where all the ingredients are there for you to relax and do your best work…

Here’s a link to the video: