Having thought Puck was the sum of its tiny frontage, I quickly found out when I went to have a chat with the owners Ralph and Zoe, that it’s actually a warren-like oasis offering what Zoe describes as “a living breathing authentic place where people feel like it’s theirs, enriching their lives”. Ralph laughs. “Yeah, just like you discovered, you just don’t know what we are till you come in”.
The musician and artist couple took it on just over two years ago, Ralph having worked there for the previous six years since arriving from north England to realise a dream of creating a space that brought together the things that they most care about – music and art.
Puck is a fully and genuinely independent café/space/gathering spot. I’m nervous to just call it a café as Zoe’s very clear that she doesn’t think of it as that – it’s also a community space where artists who she feels are under-represented in Brighton can lay their hats, exhibit work, come and have creative conversations, or for customers to just be.
Certainly it serves the most delicious cup of coffee in Brighton (so The Guardian said, and I have to agree). Having a cuppa can be an artistic act for Zoe – crucially it’s not just a transaction. Ralph agrees. They know the regulars not just by name but by their drink – think caffeinated Cheers. There’s no distinction between drink-in or take-away prices, single use paper cups are the norm there. There are porcelain cups too, but reader – this is an ‘if you know, you know’ situation – I was astonished to see hung up neatly in the kitchen the cups of around 70 local regulars who can walk in and expect to be served in their very own cup.
So why Puck? For Zoe ‘Puck’ represents the mischief of the character from Midsummer Nights Dream. She loves the role of disruptor, messing with the routine, curating as much as she can once Ralph’s morning and afternoon residence is over, thinking of ways to offer anything from Pudding Nights to Art residences and market events for the local community. Her lovely character design graces the limited edition T shirts draped over a mushroom, for example. Indeed functional mushrooms powders to add to drinks are available from Jardin Collective and savoury and sweet snacks are locally sourced too.
A “puck” is also that hard disc of grounds you get when you’ve pressed hot water through a coffee-machine. Ralph only uses locally sourced ‘Pharmacie’ single origin coffee. The limited batches mean the coffee will change, taste wise, over the weeks, but the brew you are served will always be good. For him the quality is measured in the sound of the drop, the colour and literally the feel of the drink in his hands. If he’s not happy, it’ll be discreetly disguarded and he’ll start again.
A “puck” is also the lump of plastic which is the starting point of every vinyl record – some of which are for sale in the shop upstairs. For Ralph, music is his life – he plays, writes and collects and curates music. From Pink Floyd’s Atom Heart Mother (which was his lullaby as a baby) to the monthly playlists he makes and describes as being “like sourdough starters”, it’s about suggesting new things to listen to. He curates the albums on offer for sale and knows that customers are very likely to come across something they didn’t know they’d like.
The emotional connection to music is clear. They tell the stories of life in bands and venues in the north and of the past life of Puck – a TV repair shop where the back room, now a gathering place with seats and tables and board games, was then a pirate radio station, broadcasting to the Brighton area. Music is art, coffee is art, cups are art, conversation is art, everything is connected. Spend your money in Puck. Be a Puck Pal. They’re creating a scene and I want to be in it.
The Whistler 