Local talent boosts Calne brew (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Local talent boosts Calne brew

9:00am Saturday 1st September 2012 in News

Rebecca Long, manager of Calne’s new Costa coffee shop. It opens on Saturday

After working in London and Manchester, Rebecca Long has returned home to manage Calne’s new Costa.
The coffee shop in Phelps Parade will open on Saturday.
Miss Long, 22, attended Holy Trinity Primary School and John Bentley School before moving to London after her AS-levels.
Her first foray into the coffee business was at Costa in High Wycombe, Bucks.
She was offered the job in Calne after three rounds of interviews, and said she was excited to start living and working near her family.
Miss Long said: “I had heard rumours about it
coming to Calne and I thought I would love to come home.
“I want it to be a nice place for people to come and meet.
“There aren’t enough places for people in Calne to come and do that. I’m hoping I can make a positive difference for the community. I’m hoping that it will be a fun, lively place.
“Calne has always been a tight community, everyone knows everyone.
“Living in London is different to that, so I’m looking forward to it.”
On Saturday, a jazz band will play in the town centre until 2pm and Calne Mayor Roy Golding will open the store with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10am.
Coun Golding said: “I’m delighted Calne is getting a Costa. We increasingly rely on cafés, coffee shops and recreational activity to maintain the footfall necessary to keep the High Street going.
“With Costa moving in, it indicates the centre of Calne is on the way up.”
Miss Long will manage six other team members, including four former John Bentley pupils.
She said although she enjoyed drama at school and used to dream of being an
actress, she enjoyed working in a coffee shop because it
allowed her to interact with customers.
She said: “It’s a very social job and I was a very people person, so I thought I would be good at it.
“I just love working with people. It can be hard at times but that’s the same as any other job.”
Miss Long hopes the store’s Sunday opening hours will help to bring life to the town at the weekend.
Matt Coulthard, Costa’s operational manager, said he hoped the Calne shop would become a community hub.
He said: “We intend to play an active role in this vibrant community and therefore want to extend a warm
welcome to anyone who enjoys coffee and wants to meet their friends or business
colleagues in the heart of town.”