KLAXONS! Calling all Lewes locals! Are you up for a new brewcafe in the park? (AKA the Malling Community Centre.) Teas, coffees, biscuits, great food, great beer - and plenty of cracking AF options.
Only With Love brewery can get this going, with your help. As well as offering a great destination for people to hang out, we want to work with as many community groups as possible - both large and small... Dog walkers, nursery groups, footballers, knitters, book buffs, film buffs, yogis, runners, stoolballers, toadsters, crafters, detectorists, more. Together we can create a cool new home in Lewes for meetups, events, celebrations and great eats and drinks.
What the new Malling Brewcafe will offer...
We’ll open in the morning and provide great coffee and pastries from the best local producers in the area. Daytime food will offer a brilliant range of healthy options - including the best vegetarian and vegan food from our good friends at Cashew Catering. Healthy grub for everyone and plenty of choice for the kids - all served from the cafe.
During the evening at weekends we'll turn the venue into a wellbeing taproom - featuring all the best of our beery beers and AF (alcohol free) range, sodas and kombuchas; and with collaborations with local wineries and distilleries and other brewing partners, we’ll create a healthy showcase for the best Sussex producers.
We’ll be working closely with the centre’s team to support all existing activities and events, and we'll help to enable a new range of activities that’ll maximise community use of this brilliant facility - using its newly refurbed indoor spaces and lovely outdoor area that overlooks the park.
Malling Community Centre is yours!
If you want a home for a gathering, a club, a special celebration or just a quiet drink and a bite to eat then together we can make it happen.
Why crowdfunding?
We need some help to bring a bit of Only With Love magic to the venue. As it is, Malling Community Centre is a superb, (extremely) eco-friendly space that's benefited from a stack of refurb and upgrade investment from Lewes council. But it needs more warmth and character to become more of a home for the community.
By supporting us here, we'll be better able to furnish the main cafe area and bring in essentials such as kitchen and bar equipment, furniture, lighting and decorations, signage, and more creature comforts.
It's yours, be a part of it...
By contributing, you'll be helping to create a much needed community space for this part of town.
'Pledge' and you'll receive some great rewards - including a lot of free Only With Love beer and AFs, group schemes for the Brewcafe and fresh merch. Or, just choose to 'Donate' if you'd like to support the Brewcafe without a reward.
Opening plans
There's lots to do, but with your support we plan to be building out the venue ASAP and opening properly in September.
Community is our core - here's what else we do in the area...
Communal spaces, drinking and eating are super important for local communities, and are a fantastic vehicle for social good. We’ve worked with local organisations from the get-go. For example, Lewes FC (the first football club in the world to pay their women and men’s teams the same wage)... where we supply drinks, services and facilities that help support their programs for social good, and other local community engagement.
We’ve also worked with The Big Issue on an enablement program to help young college students gain valuable, real-world skills and experience in the hospitality trade. Throughout last summer we hosted a squad of Brighton University undergrads in local markets in Lewes and Brighton, selling co-branded Only With Love / Big Issue kombucha (with our help). All profits were ploughed back into the pockets of these traders to enable them to further their plans and ambitions. Additional business tuition from a joint partnership with Experian also helped them develop their skills.
We'll also soon be launching a new taproom cafe, in tandem with community enterprise Hastings Commons …part of a wide-ranging project to regenerate over 8k metres of floor space across x11 sites in the heart of Hastings. This new venue and events space will be the centrepiece of the historic Hastings Observer building - and a great showcase for our community venue strategy.
FAQ
How long will the Crowdfunder run?
For four weeks - launching Saturday August 19th to Saturday September 16th.
What's the £££ goal?
We’re looking to raise £3.5k initially, but the more support we have, the better we'll be able to develop the venue - so we'll add a stretch fund to our target.
What's the payback?
See above for the variety of rewards on offer. Free beer. Free AFs. Free sodas. Free kombuchas. Group offers. More...
How can I keep tabs on progress?
Just revisit this page for regular updates. You can also follow us on Instagram to get all the latest from the brewery. Or, just email us anytime.
When will the new Brewcafe be open?
See above. Our aim is September. Check in here and on our socials and we'll keep you posted.
About Only With Love
Founded in Lewes in 2020 (in lockdown #1 & #2) Only With Love is a different craft beer outfit.
We are the wellbeing brewery.
We produce an international award-winning range of beers and sodas for better minds, bodies and spirits - giving healthier choices to people who love their brews.
Today we brew zero to 5% ABV: a range of fun, premium AF (alcohol free) beers, kombuchas, hop sodas and regular beers that are perfectly in step with today’s mindful drinker - from breakfast to closing time.