Floating pop-up cafe launched by friends (and family)

A “FLOATING” pop-up café has been launched on the River Thames in Henley.

Café Afloat is on Hobbs of Henley’s 75ft cruiser Hibernia, which will be moored near Red Lion Lawn in Thames Side during the day on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The business sells fair trade coffee by Kingdom of Reading, sausage rolls from Red Lion Farm in Britwell Salome and cheese scones made by Lawlor’s bakery in Henley as well as genuine Cornish pasties.

It is run by friends Melanie Hobbs, from Nettlebed, and Berni Kent, from Peppard, who met when their children were at Peppard Primary School together.

Ms Hobbs is the sister of the boat hire firm’s managing director Jonathan Hobbs and Mrs Kent is a laboratory technician at Reading Blue Coat School in Sonning.

The pair had discussed running a café before the coronavirus outbreak and decided to go ahead after Ms Hobbs was furloughed as a cabin crew team leader for British Airways. Her brother offered her use of Hibernia as it can’t be used for private hire functions under the current coronavirus restrictions.

It normally seats 60 people but this has been cut to 30 to enable social distancing and groups must all come from the same household. Ms Hobbs’s daughter Charlotte and Mrs Kent’s daughter Sophie, now both 16, will be among the staff.

Ms Hobbs said: “The boat is a lovely setting and we could move it to different locations depending on the weather. Even when it’s not so bright, it’s a bit different to be out on the water.

“The pandemic and the new rules surrounding it have forced a lot of people to think differently about their businesses and what they can do to get by. Jonny thought this was a great idea and it should be popular.”

Hobbs is also hosting five-course tasting dinners by chef Jimmy Garcia on its flagship vessel, The New Orleans, in the run-up to Christmas.