Chatty café scheme expands across islands

Saturday 08 February 2020

A scheme aiming to combat local loneliness by encouraging café customers to strike up conversations among one another is gaining traction, spreading across Jersey and Guernsey.

Beresford Street Kitchen was the first to 'get chatty' last summer, but Jersey Museum and Art Gallery now have a ‘chatter and natter’ table in their concourse area, while there is also one now located in Common Ground Coffee Shop at Red Houses, St. Brelade.

Launched in 2017 by Alexander Hoskyn, the scheme aims to get involved with cafés and set up tables where customers “can sit if they are happy to talk to other customers".

Pictured: A 'Chatter and Natter' table is up in Jersey Museum. 

Jane Miles, Jersey Heritage’s Marketing and Development Manager, told Express they "jumped at the chance" to take part in the scheme. 

“It fits perfectly with one of the main aims behind the creation of Jersey Museum’s new concourse area, which is to provide a shared space for islanders to use.” 

Jane said they hope people will come to the Museum “and enjoy the company of anyone else who fancies a chat".

“The table is also right next to a bookshelf full of books that people are welcome to browse through.” 

Pictured: The table is located in the Museum's new concourse area. 

Jersey Heritage is not stopping there, with plans to have another ‘chatter and natter’ table in the near future. 

“We are due to open a new tearoom at La Hougue Bie in partnership with Beresford Street Kitchen, which is also part of the Chatty Café Scheme.” 

The scheme is new for Common Ground, with manager and former theatre teacher Michelle Smith telling Express that people have initially been reluctant in taking part, but that there is still plenty of enthusiasm.

“...It is a bit different so that’s understandable, but everyone we have spoken to agrees it’s a great scheme.”

Pictured: Beresford Street Kitchen was the first island establishment to sign up to the Chatty Café Scheme.

Michelle said her theatrical background means that she is naturally chatty, which is one of the reasons her intention in opening the café was to "encourage more chat, and interaction between ourselves as a community - I guess because it's scary how easy it might be to go through a day and not talk to anyone face-to-face".

She added: "All our staff are coincidentally from performing arts backgrounds, and so we are all working hard to facilitate and encourage chat between our customers, so we are hopeful and feel this can only be a positive addition to our coffee shop and to our community."

Guernsey has also taken on the scheme, having a table set up in Café Amiti at La Nouvelle Maritaine.