Meet the owners

Meet: Rich

Set in a Grade II listed building in the centre of Cambridge, the Pint Shop boasts parquet flooring and industrial-chic décor. With a stylish retro feel and delicious selection of chargrilled meat dishes, steaks and vegetarian options, it’s the perfect place to settle in for lunch or a drink.

What was the inspiration behind your business?

My business partner and I wanted to create the kind of place that we wanted to eat and drink in, the kind of places we like to go with our friends and family. We felt there was a gap in the market in Cambridge to do that after living here a long time.

We focus on small producers, so we’re working with small brewers, small distillers, and regional food producers from farms to bakers.

What does being an independent business in Cambridge mean to you?

I love it, I’ve lived in Cambridge for fifteen years and being able to do something in the city you live in is really special. I love being able to have friends and family around and to be a part of what’s become a really bustling city.

I remember around 10 years ago, Cambridge was named the worst ‘clone town’ in Britain, and ever since then there’s been all sorts of great independent movements. Independent Cambridge started, lots of independent food businesses opened, and being a very small part of what’s been going on behind the scenes has been a lot of fun.

Why is important for people to shop independent and shop local?

It keeps the money in the local economy, first and and foremost. Small businesses have to work extremely hard because they have to do everything themselves, but you do get real excitement and there’s a lot of passion and love behind independent businesses compared to the big chains.

What is your favourite animal?

Elephants. My wife’s South African, so we spent quite a bit of time doing safaris over there and they’re just amazing creatures, absolutely incredible.

What advice would you give your younger self?

It would be around self-belief I think. Have more confidence in yourself, understand that everybody’s fighting their own battles and that you’re not on your own. 

How do you adapt your menu for vegans, vegetarians and people with allergies?

It’s a big thing, getting bigger and bigger. We’re looking at getting up to 50% of the menu vegan or vegetarian by January actually. It’s just becoming the norm now, we’re adding more and more items from starting with only 1 or 2 when we opened. The allergy information is available on the menu and the team have more detailed information on every menu item.

What makes yours a green or environmentally friendly business?

We try to minimise our impact with simple things, like making tap water available at the bar and giving customers tap water instead of bottled. We’ve used a lot of reclaimed furniture and flooring, and we try to buy as locally as possible to keep the food miles down. It’s a super important thing and we do as much as we can to help.

Could you describe your menu in 3 words?

Simple, seasonal and British.