Women in Coffee: Hannah Rutland, The Loft

What do you do? Tell us a little about your journey.

I own a very small ocean-side cafe called Loft down in Coverack, on the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall. We’re teeny tiny, with room for about eight people at a push inside, but we’re right next to the harbour wall so outside space is kind of limitless. We’re just gearing up to open for my fourth season, which always brings a mix of emotions of both excitement and anticipation! I get a bit peeved in Cornwall at these cafes in beautiful places that monopolise on their location, but don’t bother offering a good product, it just doesn’t make sense. So, when I bought the lease for Loft, I knew that we could change that, we could have the views and the good brews.

Before I had the cafe, I actually worked at Origin for a few years, in both customer service and then as Wholesale Manager for Cornwall & Devon and that was great, getting to explore the two counties and see what was going on in the coffee scene. And prior to this, I had another cafe in Falmouth for a few years, so I’ve really done my time! Before all of this though, I started working in hospitality when I was about eighteen and always loved and felt at home in the buzz of a busy shift.

“I really love orchestrating a great experience for customers and that has something that has stuck with me over the last decade.”

It was only when I moved to Cornwall in 2013 to open a cafe that I essentially stumbled upon Origin and the world of specialty coffee. I was 22 at the time and in hindsight, a little clueless. The team at Origin really held my hand through it all when I quickly realised I was opening a cafe and didn’t know how to make a good coffee! It was a fun time to be in the industry though, because the brunch scene was really just starting to emerge in Cornwall, so it was kind of the right time, right place scenario as within a few months, the cafe was pretty consistently busy. During these early months, I spent a lot of time honing my craft and specialty coffee culture has been a huge part of my life ever since. I love the environment that a well curated cafe offers, each with its own unique aspects which are usually a reflection of the people behind it all (both owners and staff alike). There’s something really special in these spaces where people come together over a cup of really good coffee – I think I’m still caught up in the romance of it all even after all these years.

Personally, I’ve always felt very well supported and listened to in this industry, with great opportunities when I’ve sought them out. We’re lucky to have a really vibrant and thriving specialty coffee scene here in Cornwall, with an abundance of female cafe owners and baristas. It’s a great community to be a part of.

There are too many to choose from - it would depend on if I’m thinking about my identity as a cafe owner, a mother, a wife, a friend, or just a human being. SoI’m going to pick my (coincidentally) female team down at Loft. We’re a pretty tight knit team with a dynamic age range from 20 through to 58, and they each have this incredible ability to adapt to any kind of pace that’s thrown their way. As a seasonal business, the holidays can be pretty hectic for us, but I truly admire the way they keep their cool and maintain such high standards when the going gets tough. They remind me what it’s all about, not stressing and enjoying the buzz of the busy times.