Inside one of London’s last traditional cafes, where a family business has survived gentrification, tragedy and near-bankruptcy.
Austin Yardley took over Terry’s Café in 2010(Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon)
From the window of Terry’s Café in Borough, Austin Yardley has seen the area change beyond recognition. Small warehouses home to car repair shops and wholesalers have made way for residential blocks and office buildings amid a post-industrial boom around London Bridge.
While Austin has come to terms with this, the wider trend of gentrification across London has put the very existence of his profession at risk. As owner of one of the capital’s last ‘heritage cafes’, the South Londoner has grappled to find the balance of serving a new kind of customer while running an authentic establishment of Britain’s past.
“There’s only really two left now, us and Pelicci’s in Bethnal Green,” Austin, 47, tells MyLondon. “Regency Café would have previously been one but it has new owners now – although they seem to be doing a reasonably good job.”
He’s on a bench in his Great Wardour Street café during a lull in service, dressed eccentrically in a sharp white shirt, green sweater vest and navy jeans while wearing square, thick-rimmed glasses. Glancing down at the menu, he gives off an air of guilt about adding bloody mary cocktails and avocado to his list of mostly traditional offerings.
“We’ve had to keep with the times,” Austin adds, “but we still sell the old Billingsgate and Smithfield breakfasts.” Austin’s dad, Terry, opened the café in 1984 and put his son to work aged 14 alongside his aunt and cousins.
The interior of Terry’s Café in Borough is heavily influenced by London’s past(Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga/My London)
In 2010 Austin took control of the business when Terry passed away and invested heavily into making it a modern offering that could attract people from across London. Asked what has made his café such a success during such a difficult period, he said it’s mostly down to a mix of authenticity and resilience.
“Some people claim we’re not a local café anymore, well, the locals have gone,” he says. “There’s hardly any left, there’s now quite a high turnover of people who live here.
“Since the 90s the world has changed, it’s the same at Pelicci’s, all the old characters have died off. Now we get a lot of tourists, from different parts of London and other countries, and I don’t mean that in a negative sense at all.
“I see it as my responsibility to promote British culture in a positive fashion. We also represent London at the same time, if you look around you’ll see we’ve got a multicultural team of people mostly from the local area.”
Austin has experienced a mixture of highs and lows throughout his 16 years of running his family business. He’s been on the verge of bankruptcy, forcing him to sell his own flat to pay off intimidating debts.
Austin released his book ‘Cafe Confidential’ this year to describe the highs and lows of running his business(Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga/My London)
He’s also had to cope with the tragedy of his brother taking his own life 10 years ago. It’s this unique experience that prompted Austin to write ‘Cafe Confidential’, a play on words of New York chef Anthony Bourdain’s classic ‘Kitchen Confidential’, to share his experience of remaining strong throughout the hardship.
Now in a much better place financially, Austin compares being asked about a favourite memory of his 16-year tenure to deciding on a favourite film or album.
“I’ve got thousands of customers out there that remember me from when I was a boy when it was really a [traditional] café,” he says. “Most of them go, ‘f****** hell, I think it’s amazing what you’ve done, taking it from a backstreet café to what it is today’.
“And now we are where we are today, with the added coffee shop and butchers we opened next door. We’re in a very healthy position compared to before.”
“Thriving in the café business is being able to pay all the bills and have a little bit left over,” Austin says(Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga/My London)
Austin seems relatively optimistic about the future of London cafes, but is concerned about many recently opened spots failing after only a few years.
“You look at Norman’s, set up like a nouveau café; had loads of press, queues out the door,” he continues. “People said it’s the best café in London, but it couldn’t have been that good because it’s gone now.
“There’s only endurance, tenacity and persistence, along with a passion to keep the business going. You can’t make that up.”
“Thriving in the café business is being able to pay all the bills and have a little bit left over,” he concludes.
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