November Newsletter

Welcome, friends, to our first issue of the Native Newsletter!

We are so excited to share our journey with you all and build our community on coffee, connection and creativity. Through this platform, we hope to give you all an insight into all things Native. Alongside sharing our background and aspirations, we will keep you up to date with all the goings on at Native HQ with event round ups, information on vendors that will accompany us, and interesting stories from the lives of our passers by.

First and foremost, we will be serving you up specialty coffee on the ground, 7 days a week. We all know that no coffee date is complete without a sweet treat and thanks to our friends at Kin&Folk Bakery, we will have an array on offer to curb those cravings. We are also thrilled to offer a space for local creatives to sell their products/foods/crafts to the Belfast public. Supporting local is at the heart of what we do, and we can’t wait to help make trading even more accessible in the city! Our mission is to cultivate an inclusive environment where you can unwind with friends, support local suppliers, and attend—or even host—exciting events while pioneering sustainable practices that engage and inspire our community. From workshops and music to shopping and community gatherings, there’s something for everyone at Native.

Paul and Áine are the proud parents of Native. The wheels began to turn after Paul made the spontaneous decision one New Year's Day to buy a horsebox when he couldn’t reach Áine. Who knows, if Áine had picked up the phone would we be here today? Paul being a ‘doer’ got right to work during the pandemic, converting the horsebox into a mobile cafe with a helping hand from his dad, brother and cousin, most notably. After around four months, Native had its first day of trading on Minerstown Beach, Easter 2024 (photo?). A special mention is due to Groupwork Coffee for all the invaluable advice and guidance when it came to the ins and outs of coffee machines and grinders, alongside supplying the beans that quickly became highly sought after. 

With beach trading getting off to an even better start than imaginable, Native hit the road and began to park up at various locations like Downpatrick RGU, Killough Festival and Community initiatives, school wellbeing days and even visiting many Film & TV set locations around NI (Nesbit, Daryl, insert photos?). Coffee culture and a good weekend market go hand in hand, before long the horsebox found itself building relationships with the trading community as regulars at Inns Cross Market. Native has also served up quality coffee at Cohen & Co Market, Belfast Mela and Armagh Food & Cider Festival to name a few.

When the opportunity presented itself, native lost its wheels, planted its roots and got to work! It quickly became clear that Paul and Áine were going to need some extra hands for the project - this is where Dave and Jenna come in. Dave’s mountain of experience in back end business and the service industry made him the ideal candidate to help native expand and grow.  His enthusiastic nature and top tier people skills make him such an asset to the team. Jenna, with her passion for barista culture, people and projects, was a great fit for this exciting venture and bringing community building ideas to the table. 

Native is for the people, therefore we want to hear from you. Get in touch with your ideas, feedback and what you would like to see from us. If you have a skill, product or small business that you would like to unveil to the people of Belfast, we would love to hear from you and offer a helping hand. Please spread the word and get in touch. 

Keep an eye on our socials for all the updates. We look forward to building a thriving community together, one cup of coffee at a time!

The Team @ Native