Mugs – Tram Road’s new Coffee Baby

Mugs is the latest venture from Jamie Evans and Emily Fahey.  The coffee couple have established themselves as important members of the beverage scene in Folkestone. They started with a café in Shoreditch, then had coffee carts at Kings Cross.  With so many customers coming up from Folkestone, Jamie and Emily decided to come down to take a look at the town and fell in love with Folkestone immediately.  They then opened up the hugely successful Leas Lift Café.  In 2024, as renovations for the Leas Lift meant closing the venue, Jamie and Emily came up with their next plan, and spoke to Folkelife about the future.

“Running the Leas Lift Café has been a real treat.  We’ve built up a lot of loyal, regular customers, and it has been wonderful to be a part of the regeneration of that iconic structure.  Now, as they renovate the building for its next phase, hopefully opening in 2025, we are planning our future moves too.  

“We’re passionate about coffee.  That’s what I want to make, and I want to make it well.  I’m just finishing off a filter coffee for a customer which is a carefully timed, and weighed out process.  The filter I have has a valve underneath which makes it easy to manage and pour.  It’s important to me to get this right, because the taste is far superior when you make it properly.”

mugs

“We’re currently based in the Urban Rooms on Tram Road car park.  It’s a pop-up situation at present whilst we confirm our new premises.  This location is incredibly convenient for our customers, as it’s not so far away from the Leas Lift, and certainly in the centre at the junction of The Old High Street, Tontine Street and the Harbour.  It’s also really convenient for me as I live about a minute away.

“Being here means we’re still a key part of the community.  I feel I know about 30% of the population of Folkestone now, having worked here for the past 4 years. There’s always someone to say hello to.”

decent coffee and cheese toasties

“We’re offering a good staple menu of decent coffee, tea and hot chocolate, plus savouries like cheese toasties.  There are home-made cakes too, and other small snacks.  The soup kettle is just coming out and that’s my favourite food to share.  I think our soups are one of the best things we do.  

“Being part of the Urban Room also gives us access to a different part of the community.  When we were at the Leas Lift there were a lot of train enthusiasts, and people playing in the coastal park.  Here, now, we are sharing the space with artists and those discussing the town’s future.  We’ve always loved being a part of the community here in Folkestone and we’re always meeting new people.”

“In time we’ll know if this is our permanent venue, we’ve just got a few legal bits to sort out first.  But we’re definitely here to serve the best coffee to Folkestone, you can be certain of that.”