3 minute read
Go Fika
FIKA FEEDS FAMILIES
Autumn has been busy for Wavertree’s Fika. STEPH COLDERICK visits the café that thrived as the centre of the community in the first lockdown and has continued bringing people together
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From free school meals, to a Halloween scavenger hunt, to being nominated for an Open Reach Community Award by MP Paula Barker, Anthony Grice owner of Fika café in Wavertree has not stopped to catch his breath. Anthony explained how he always wanted his cafe, in Woolton Road, Liverpool, to be more than a coffee shop:
“Because we are in such a residential area, I wanted it to be like a community hub where we could give back to the community.”
Anthony used to view coffee shops as “anti-social” hubs:
“I used to call them anti-social hubs, everyone would be on their phones, they would all have their laptops out.”
Anthony wanted to create a place where people would come to meet and chat with friends and family - even naming his coffee shop after this way of life.
He said: “The word Fika means to have a coffee break and sit down, relax and meet new friends. That’s what we are all about….it is a way to put the phone down, put your laptops away and just talk and consume life a bit more.”
It is easy to see that Fika has done this with the support Anthony has gathered from the community in his two and half years of being open. During lockdown he had two-hour queues for takeaway as people wanted to support their beloved local businesses.
This, alongside his own upbringing, has spurred him on to help the community:
“I have a had a tough upbringing, I am from Toxteth, and I can remember tough days. It was like Willy Wonka, we would have cabbage water sometimes, it was just really, really tough times growing up.”
October has demonstrated his dedication to the community like no other month.
After being shocked that school children were coming in on their own to get their free breakfast during the recent half term, Anthony realised some parents were struggling to ask for help. Because of this he introduced a voucher system, where the parents also ate for free in the most discreet manner.
He said: “I was disgusted, a lot of people were disgusted at the way MPs voted against extending the free school meals. I wanted to take a stance and also give back to the community.”
This giving back to the community theme continued with a Halloween Scavenger Hunt that more than 200 children attended, allowing the local community to enjoy Halloween safely.
Anthony said: “I thought I need to do something for the community… that’s just a little way of me saying
Fika is now offering free packed lunches to school children
thank you to everyone.”
All this community work was not gone un-noticed as members of the community got in touch with Wavertree MP Paula Barker, urging her to nominate Mr Grice for an award.
He said: “To be nominated is just incredible.”
As the second lockdown is due to start within days, Fika have certainly made the most of the “new normal” supporting the community anyway they can. After visiting Fika it seems unlikely Anthony will let this second lockdown go by without bringing a smile to the residents of Wavertree and beyond.
