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Walking past The Merchants, you could be forgiven for thinking that it is simply a kooky coffee shop with bright artwork adorning the walls and a floor full of funky furniture. However, upon closer inspection, there is more to The Merchants than meets the eye...
Times are tough in town. We've just come out of a pandemic, the cost of living is going up and economic uncertainty seems to stalk small businesses wherever they go. However, despite this, there are several newer faces around the island braving it all.
Today, Express speaks to the owners of a place that is 'more than just a coffee shop'...
The first clues that The Merchants isn't your average café are the price tags under the paintings on the walls and on the very pieces of furniture that you sit on, sipping your coffee.
If you get your timing right, you may also witness the coffee shop transform into a workshop space or a venue for live music events.
The concept for The Merchants is to be a community-focused Coffee Shop Gallery, showcasing art, photography, music, and animation, whilst hosting creative workshops to allow islanders to explore their own creative endeavours.
Pictured: The Merchants is currently selling the vintage furniture that is experienced in the space.
The artwork currently on the walls is from international artists, sharing a range of new artists and photographers to Jersey.
Although currently selling the vintage furniture that is experienced in the space, the long-term aim is for all furniture and products used in The Merchants to be sourced locally and come from Jersey-based artists and artisans.
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Like his business, The Merchants' owner James Grant is also a jack-of-all-trades. He set up The Merchants with a partner in February and originally opened in May. However, his partner left the project at the end of August and he now runs the business on his own, with the welcome support of a team of three staff members.
James grew up in Jersey, before moving to London to study and pursue his passion for fine art photography. Once graduated, he made the move to Cambodia where he worked as an art director and photo editor, as well as lecturing in photography at Limkokwing University.
Pictured: The coffee sold in The Merchants is sourced from Dark Arts Coffee, a coffee roastery started by James' friends in East London.
Returning to London in 2012, James worked as a freelance photographer whilst studying for his MA in Fashion Photography at London College of Fashion.
He has now worked with a plethora of publications, celebrities, and clients including i-D, BEAT, Vice, NME, Rio Ferdinand, Alexa Chung, Vans, Barbour International, and Harley Davidson.
One project which stood out for James was his work with the brand Dickies on their ‘Meet the Makers’ campaign. The series focussed on providing a glimpse into the life of different people from all corners of the world with a particular creative talent that made them outstanding in their field.
Pictured: The Merchants is a host to all sorts of artistic workshops for children and adults alike.
James explained: “After working in an espresso bar in Australia, I always knew I wanted to open my own coffee shop and art gallery but all of the interesting people I met during my work with Dickies made me want to create a space that could showcase artisan’s work.”
When the historical space on Beresford Street become available, it seemed like fate.
“The root concept of the space was always meant to be everything for sale,” explained James. The earliest history of 4 Beresford Street, where The Merchants is now based, tells us that it originally operated as a merchants store.
Pictured: 4 Beresford Street, where The Merchants is now located, actually used to be a merchants store.
He added: "Our hope is to help support, promote and push the local art community, whilst allowing The Merchants to have constantly changing art on its walls and interior design. It is to also share new artists to the local community, inspire the next generation whilst allowing accessible art being sold.
"Although some unique pieces are in the £2000+ range, the artists' prints start at £30. The main price bracket is priced at the £30-£500 mark to open up the sale of art and photography to all!"
Pictured: Just last weekend, The Merchants hosted local musician Dottie for a performance of her live music.
James is also passionate about creating a space for local art students to exhibit their work. Called the ‘Student’s Hall’, one wall of The Merchants will be dedicated to creation a commission-free space for older art students to showcase and hopefully sell their work.
James explained the inspiration behind this feature: “Growing up and studying in Jersey, I felt like I never got the opportunities to really share my work as an artist, and my friends and my family and they've got to see it.
“Until my interview for universities, I was never really exposed to kind of discussing my work critically or being able to sell any of my pieces so that’s what I want to offer to today’s art students.”
A Level students from JCG are up first and will be taking over the Student’s Hall very soon.
Pictured: Young children can explore their creative sides in The Merchants' development space.
For younger aspiring artists, The Merchants is home to a back room which serves as a development space. With a projector playing educational films of art practice for kids, there are all the materials for little artists to draw on the black board wall or the stacks of paper whilst parents enjoy a well-deserved coffee and homemade chocolate cake from James' mum.
The Merchants is also host to a vinyl corner celebrating album artwork and original sound with a bluetooth turntable, to be used to listen to records for sale.
James said: “One moment that really stood out to me recently was a guy who had just bought a record from a charity shop round the corner. I’ve never met him before but he came in with his wife and wanted to listen to the records so asked me to help set it up for him.
Pictured: The vinyl corner allows people to listen to their favourite records.
“Instead of playing it through the headphones, I asked him if I could put it on in the shop. So he sat down and had a coffee with his wife whilst we played the record in the shop, and it’s got to be one of the best ska records I’ve ever heard! I’m so glad we all got to share it and experience it together.
“That’s exactly what I wanted this space to be; people can come in and share art that they love.”
You can check out upcoming events and workshops at The Merchants via their website.
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Do you know a new business that is 'braving it'? Get in touch via email editor@bailiwickexpress.com.
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