Eatdrink #82 March/April 2020

24 | March/April 2020
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
Ann Neydon Wilson
big patio and outdoor fireplace, and planted
the large gardens that grace our site. When we
had the basics, we set out to hire a great staff
and succeeded by hiring young people from
our rural neighbourhood and small
town. We now have two farms
across the road from each other,
20 acres of vines and a distinctive
fruit-forward wine making style.
We’ve been involved in the
annual Explore the Shore weekend
along our road since it started in
2010. We have great neighbours,
and the 22-kilometer stretch of
road along Lake Erie is full of agribased
entrepreneurs.
My favourite part of each day
is working with the young people
we work with here — managers,
tasting bar staff, chefs, servers, dishwashers,
including our son and four grandsons. They
are full of fun, smarts and fresh ideas, so
every day is a good day at Oxley.
.
Kimberly Nunez
Owner, Cream Beanery Cafe, London & Mt.
Brydges
facebook.com/creambeanerycafe/
As told to Nancy McSloy
We offer delicious food and beverages in a
delightful atmosphere suitable for all. We
are one of the few pour-over coffee bars in
London. The coffee is ground fresh, we use
filtered water and manually pour the coffee
on the spot. Our fair-trade coffee beans are
organically sourced from Columbia and other
countries and roasted in Mt. Brydges. We also
have over 30 varieties of organic loose-leaf tea.
My role is quite simply everything! A typical
day/week includes serving, cooking, baking,
making gelato, staff scheduling, payroll,
shopping and more. Owning your business,
you do it all.
Seeing our customers on a regular basis,
conversing with them is so special. Having
them understand and appreciate how hard we
work (for them) is so rewarding. Seeing a child
— or adult — excited about our ice cream
flavours is fun!
If you are looking for a rewarding career
and enjoy food and drink, I would say, “go
for it”. Understand that it is not always easy,
requiring a huge commitment. The hours are
long, and you will have struggles as you grow.
I didn’t plan to be a café owner. I was an
elementary school teacher for 14 years. When
my husband was transferred to London, I
didn’t go back to teaching. When an ice cream
business came up for sale, we decided to
leave our past and try something new. The
business was seasonal, so in December 2017
we expanded and opened the London location,
and in 2019 we opened in Mt. Brydges with
plans to further expand.