Our evolution
The seed of an idea that eventually grew into Olive & Bean as you see it today began back in 2006…
The Beginning
While working together in a supermarket, Michael and Jane decided it was time to make a break for it and create a way to work for themselves. Both having a background in and a passion for food, it felt like a natural step to open up their own deli.
After looking into the potential opportunity of franchising an already established business in Scotland to the North East they decided that opening up shop independently was the only way to ensure the freedom they wanted in business and allowing them to do everything their own way.
Newcastle’s busy city centre was the prime location but it took almost a year to secure a property fit for purpose. Eventually we found a home behind the iconic Grainger Market and spent a further 5 months renovating the very old but beautiful Edwardian building Olive & Bean inhabits today.
Up and Running
After a lot of hard work and many long days and nights, the doors were opened to the public for the first time on Saturday the 3rd of May 2008.
Back then O&B looked very different to what it does today, we only had one floor open, no upstairs tables, with a huge deli counter taking up most of the shop downstairs, shelves of quality food products ready to buy lining the rest of the walls and a coffee machine sat behind the counter. That is where we got our name, we originally served olives & beans!
Within the first few months of being open we learned two important things; firstly, we needed more tables! Everybody wanted to sit in to eat and secondly, the importance of aircon! Luckily being independent meant we could change and adapt our plans as and when it was needed and we have continued to do so for the last 15 years.
Evolution
Now we have a full service kitchen that works hard to serve our breakfast and lunch menu’s fresh everyday, enough seats over two floors for around 100 people, and a well stocked cake counter full of homemade cakes, brownies and tiffins (and more!) all made in our on-site bakery on our 3rd floor. We still pride ourselves on making great coffee too, and although the form of Olive & Bean has changed extraordinarily since it began our ethos has remained the same…
We want to provide great quality, fresh, delicious and wherever possible, homemade food to our customers alongside providing stellar attentive service from our ever growing team of staff.
We could have never imagined when we started what Olive & Bean has grown into today, we will keep pushing through all of the challenges that come with being a small but mighty independent business and look forward to where we will be in another decade. We’re hoping maybe we’ll be retired on a sunny beach somewhere tropical? We can always dream, and until then we will be happy to serve you everyday on Clayton Street instead!
