Expanding Cambridge’s cafe culture
Town’s name as shopping destination brews demand for more cafes, as Mike Bain reports for our series,
More cafes are needed in Cambridge as its population and business community grows.
Business partners Kim Lee and Ali Foers hope to help fill that demand.
They operate the successful Gourmet Delicious catering business and run their own cafe.
Soon they will add another chapter in their success story with a second cafe, Podium, on the Mighty River Domain at Lake Karapiro.
Cambridge’s popularity as a shopping destination has in turn generated more business for cafes.
‘‘You only have to look how many Cambridge cafes are ‘heaving with custom’ to see we can accommodate more,’’ said Lee.
‘‘As the town expands more opportunities will arise for suburban cafes to open.’’
Looking to open their new Podium cafe next month, they’re firmly focussed on the core business as caterers.
Having met at an ITO course in 2006, a decision to combine forces was made and business steadily increased.
Both wanted the new partnership to have a ‘‘good strong identity’’ and spent considerable time researching and testing various names before settling on the now familiar Delicious.
With a 16-member team operating from commercial premises in Taylor St, Cambridge, Gourmet Delicious prepares its range of food to satisfy customer requirements.
New products are trialled via brand, Gourmet their popular Suburban Kitchen Cafe on Robinson Rd.
‘‘Our customers always know they are going to get great food, and we are constantly looking for feedback from them as well as our commercial customers,’’ said Foers.
Providing a simple lunch con- sisting of sandwiches and fruit for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Prince William and Catherine in 2015 was a highlight for the company.
The company’s success has been built on ‘‘excellent product’’ generating ‘‘word of mouth’’ recommendations along with repeat business ‘‘is a great endorsement’’.
Always looking to improve on their range and service the couple enjoy visiting other food outlets, and have recently attended the Top Ten Food Show in Sydney to scope out different presentation methods.