Help Our Hospitality: Northampton’s ‘Latte Lady’ praises town for being ‘hub for independents'

A barista working at the heart of Northampton’s hospitality industry, known as the ‘Latte Lady’, has praised the town for being a “hub for independents”.

Jayne Catherine is the latest person to share her thoughts for this newspaper’s Help Our Hospitality campaign, having previously explained how she came to be called the Latte Lady.

Jayne, who has lived in Kingsthorpe all her life, worked in the beauty industry until five years ago when she and her daughter fell on hard times.

After finding herself unemployed, homeless and with no choice but to find a new job, Jayne landed on her feet when she secured a role at Zapato Lounge.

From working in the Newland Walk venue, to The Old Grocery Espresso Bar for 18 months, Saints Coffee for a stint and Olly B’s until it closed down, Jayne now finds herself at the refurbished Lawrence’s Coffeehouse in St Giles’ Street.

When asked how she acclaimed the title of ‘Latte Lady’, Jayne shared how she went on holiday a couple of years ago – but this was no ordinary getaway.

She pushed herself out of her comfort zone and went on holiday with 30 strangers, where she quickly took on the role of making the teas and coffees.

Though she was originally known as the ‘tea lady’, she felt she could use the name Latte Lady to showcase her skills and enjoyment for making coffees taste amazing and look pretty.

The Latte Lady soon built up a loyal customer base, who remained dedicated to visiting her at her workplace.

Having played an important part in the hospitality industry for half a decade, Jayne was asked if she felt much has changed during that time.

“I don’t feel like it’s changed a lot,” said Jayne. “People still value that feeling of time away during the day time.

“It’s not always about drinking alcohol in the evenings, but a coffee and a cake to catch up with family or friends during the day.

“People still make the time and are happy to spend their money on that.”

Jayne is a big supporter of local businesses and said: “Northampton is a real hub for independents. They all support one another.”

The Latte Lady admired the collaborations between the hospitality industry and other sectors, including clothing and music.

“There is a welcoming environment in hospitality,” Jayne added.

The newly refurbished Lawrence’s opened to the public at the end of February and Jayne started a month later.

Though Jayne expressed her love for the business, she also shared her appreciation for pop up events – which she described as playing an “important” role across the town.

She mentioned The Obelisk Centre in Kingsthorpe in particular, which has pop ups on Friday evenings. This has recently included Santina’s Wood Fired Pizza Co. and The Courtyard Creperie, as well as a number of family fun days.

“It gives people from different walks of life the chance to showcase their independent businesses,” said Jayne. “It’s a good way to showcase without having a shop and the overheads. It brings people together.”

Jayne also recently attended Vanezfest, a fundraiser for Justin Vanezi’s overseas cancer treatment. She praised that for bringing so many independents together for a good cause, and that people were able to discover businesses they did not know existed.

When asked what she believes is the key to running a successful hospitality venue, Jayne said: “It’s the consistency of what you’re providing and the customer service.

“Even if you went somewhere and your cup of tea wasn’t great, if the person made you feel welcome and comfortable you’re more likely to go back again.”

Jayne says things are going really well at Lawrence’s, which is still consistently busy seven months on from reopening.

They have recently relaunched the food menu to include hot lunches, to add to their existing offering of toasties, sandwiches and cakes. These have proved convenient for neighbouring businesses to pick up, says Jayne.

The Latte Lady believes it is the “personable factor” that has seen customers sway towards independent coffee shops over chains.

“Regular customers come in and I start making their usual drink before they’ve even ordered,” said Jayne. “You get to know these people, and that’s the difference between independents and bigger chains with higher staff turnover.

“People will drive to see you because of that feeling of inclusivity. It’s nice to make people feel welcome.”

Jayne is proud to be at the heart of the town’s hospitality industry in her role at Lawrence’s and wanted to give back to the community.

She set herself the challenge of abseiling down the Lift Tower in aid of The Lewis Foundation, which she is taking on this Saturday (September 16).

“It’s important to support one another,” said Jayne. “Help can go a long way and some people don’t even realise.”

For anyone who would like to donate to the cause, you can pop into Lawrence’s in St Giles’ Street where there is a donation box.

To keep up to date with Jayne’s journey as the Latte Lady, check out her Instagram page here.