Why BTP is a great creative space
- June 11, 2015
Go into any BTP and you’ll see them sitting there. Poring over their laptops, focused on their screens with paper strewn across the table, getting down to whatever work they have. Some are students tackling essays and dissertations, some are freelancers who use the cafés as their offices, whilst others are having meetings over coffee or lunch.
So what is it about our environment that lends itself so well to people working in it? I’m sitting in Gloucester Road BTP, Bristol, writing this blog and I must admit it’s a lot easier than being sat in the office. So why is that? Some say it’s the free wi-fi (!), some say the big tables, others the general buzz and environment. But is there one thing that really matters over all the rest?
Recently, I was speaking with David J Rodger, a customer and author who’s just launched his ninth novel. He informed me that large chunks of his work have been penned in our cafés (particularly Bath and Park Street, Bristol), fuelled by our coffees. That’s nearly one million words.
I asked David what it was about the cafes that helped him to write:
“One of the key things about Boston is the aspect of light their locations tend to have. This goes hand in hand with the aesthetics of the interior decor. It used to be lots of wood and mismatched furniture, which created a Bohemian and eclectic vibe. These days they’re going for a Brooklyn/Williamsburg look and feel: it works, another catch-all for the creative mind.
Like any good business, Boston doesn’t want to sit still. I’ve seen them evolve their brand alongside the menu since 1997. Right at the very core of this, however, is quality. Great coffee. Great food. I go to Boston because I know I’m going to meet diverse and interesting folks behind the bar. Individuals who also know how to tow the brand – low on corporate culture, high on customer facing. I spend a lot of time at Boston to offset the solitary nature of writing, sitting alone in a study in a big house on the far edge of the city. Boston is the perfect space for creatives.”
So, rather than it being a single thing, it seems to be the combination of our café design, products and staff that encourages creativity. We invest a lot of time and effort in the design of our cafés and the materials we use, including upcycled items like old school tables, or gym flooring which now acts as our walls. It’s great that our staff were mentioned too, as a large proportion of them are very creative. Our baristas and chefs show their creativity every day in the drinks and dishes they produce, but they also have passions outside of BTP. We have artists, photographers, dancers, writers and more. With these types of people interacting with the customers, it’s not surprising they get inspired.
David’s case was very pleasing in that we’ve obviously helped him to create great pieces of work. So next time you’re in a BTP and you see someone tapping away on their laptop, just think – it could be a bestselling novel being crafted.
Note: David J Rodger has published eight novels since 2007. His latest, Oakfield, has been simmering away in the background since 1989 and was finally completed in 2014. Oakfield has now been published and is available at…