Biggleswade RUFC

Walking into the club one day during May, I noticed the door at the bottom of the stairs and recalled that was where we stored the old accounts folders. The imagination then took over and, grabbing a tape measure, the picture for how the club could create an outside bar and sell more coffee began to percolate (no pun intended)!

Taking some pictures, and asking one of the work team to generate a rendered image of how a Biggy Café could look, the idea moved forward. Obtaining quotes to fit out and ideas on how to develop the space took us along a path (with bits of rope to show working areas and tape to show windows). The Bar Manager and team confirmed it was both technically and operationally feasible and showed this could work.

The build phase was then discussed with committee and following this our Club President Simon Jarvis offered to sponsor the cost of the construction work, along with our Treasurer Brad Green offering the window and netaccess the electrical. This combined with promised donations of various items, including an oven, extractors, etc, ensured we could move ahead within a very limited budget.

The room was marked up and, as soon as the window arrived, construction work started: the fit out of electrics, plumbing, modified doors, and then the purchase of various new kitchen gadgets and machines, including a wonderful coffee machine that makes delicious espressos, lattes, capuccinos, hot chocolates and a host of other hot drinks.

Pete Richards & Simon Jarvis installed the sign on 29 August.

The ‘Oi’ ‘Oi’ ‘Oi’ menu has been developed (Food/Hot Drink/Cold Drinks) and the bar team are working on a number of offerings for both match days and training sessions. Pre-order of post training take-aways will be offered in the coming weeks…

From idea to cup the Biggy café has taken two months and last Saturday saw the first ‘dry run’. (Licensing means whilst you can pay for a beer at the window, for now it will be served at the upstairs bar and brought down by one of the serving team until the license is renewed/updated over the coming month).

Tonight - and on Wednesdays throughout the season - the cafe will be put through its paces as we welcome young rugby players, their parents and coaches to our new Northampton Saints Foundation Training evenings.

A Biggy ‘Oi’ ‘Oi’ ‘Oi’ thanks to:

Simon Jarvis – sponsoring materials, construction, carrying out the work

Fred Hassal - plumbing and other work

netaccess - electrical

Alek Osuch – certifying the electrical works

Brad Green – donation of the window

Aniko Richards - donation of oven and extractor

Sam Cox & Cristina Mattei for working the systems out and supporting the idea

A wonderful team effort…

Pete Richards

Chairman

3 Sep 2025