New Braintree coffee shop, deli and bar officially open

The Phoenix, in Bank Street, enjoyed an opening ceremony which included Braintree Council chairman Andrew Hensman.

The new outlet is a coffee shop, delicatessen and bar named after and inspired by the former Phoenix Café which was in Braintree market place.

The deli has been launched by a group of Braintree-born owners who reminisce over the smells of the town’s Bowtells specialty food shop.

The owner, who are all life long friends and family, are made up of three couples.

They are Phil and Laura Poulter, Danny and Claire Macklin, and Jeremy and Claire Hollingsworth.

Owners claim the deli offers visitors the chance to buy the best food and drink Essex has to offer.

On Friday and Saturday evenings it turns into a bar, offering an array of alcoholic drinks.

The business aims to become a go-to place in Braintree for coffee, breakfast, lunch and evenings out.

The Phoenix is open seven days a week.

Speaking at the grand opening, co-owner Phil Poulter said: “We are truly 100 per cent Braintree with the owners being born and bred in Braintree and all current residents and lifelong friends and family.

“Since the start of the project, the aim has been to deliver a unique offering to the town which is where the idea of combining coffee with the deli and the bar came from.

“We are also very passionate about local produce and were equally keen to provide a shop window to showcase the excellent produce that the town and wider county has to offer.

“While we realise that we are unable to recreate the great bastions of the town - the Phoenix and Bowell’s - they have served as our inspiration.

“We have tried to offer a taste of nostalgia and offer our take on dripping on toast, soda floats as well being able to take home freshly ground coffee and tea.

“The name the Phoenix is also synonymous with how we view the town at the moment - rebuilding and looking to rise again post Covid.”

For more information, visit thephoenixbraintree.com.