‘We just loved the idea of finding a new town and opportunity for us as a next step in life’
Fedi & Jim outside The Collector in Kinsale
When you’re enjoying yourself on holiday abroad, it’s easy to fantasise about leaving your old life behind and starting a new one, but for most people, those dreams are quickly discarded after arriving back home and getting back into the swing of everyday life. However, one ambitious couple who visited Cork over the summer decided to take a leap of faith and purchase a café they’d fallen in love with during their stay.
The Collector is an award-winning café in Kinsale, which hit the market over the summer after the previous owners, Michael and Shannon Healey, were forced to sell due to unforeseen family circumstances. The Collector brand and name were included in the sale of the business.
It is one of the best-rated little cafés in the bustling harbour town, with great reviews from coffee aficionados. Last year, The Irish Independent named it one of the “100 Best Small Shops in Ireland” and “12 of the Best Independent Coffee Shops.” It’s not hard to see how the quirky little café caught the eye of Federica Pesenti and Jim Hancock, a couple with more than three decades of combined hospitality experience, who happened to be visiting Kinsale the week after it hit the market.
The Collector café in Kinsale
Jim is from Stockport, and Federica – better known to her friends as Fedi – is from Bergamo, Italy. The pair met in Manchester while working at the same pub, and in their free time, they took frequent trips to destinations across Europe. Over the summer, they had left their jobs and were searching for new opportunities when they came across the café.
Fedi told CorkBeo: “When we came to Kinsale, we loved the colourful houses, the great summer vibe and the location right by the sea. We found out that the café had been put up for sale the week before we arrived, and it seemed like a great opportunity.
“We’ve both got a lot of experience in hospitality. Since leaving Italy 12 years ago, I’ve worked in everything from cafés to fine dining, and Jim has a lot of experience working in pubs in the UK.
“We just loved the idea of finding a new town and work opportunity for us as a next step in life that would make the most out of our experience and allow us to do what we love. The owners left the shop in beautiful condition with a great menu to take over as we work on our own. We’re looking to launch a new menu in the spring, and next month we’re going to start doing wine and cocktails.”
The Collector in Kinsale
Fedi says the couple are very excited to introduce more food to the menu, giving customers a wider array of offerings while still building on the quirky menu full of drinks like fizzy Americanos and lavender matchas that The Collector is known for. The café now offers a wide range of sweet and savoury treats with a number of gluten-free, vegan and dairy-free options available.
The couple will also introduce a few traditional Italian items to the menu, including tiramisu and a variety of espresso options that can be enjoyed at the counter, starting from as little as €2.50. For those who aren’t fans of black coffee but still want a quick and easy caffeine fix, The Collector is also offering espressos with whipped cream or marscapone, which will help smooth out the intense taste.
While the rental market here in Cork is particularly tough at the moment, the couple lucked out and managed to find a place very close by. Fedi explained: “Everyone was warning us of how difficult it would be to find accommodation, but we eventually managed to find an apartment in Kinsale that’s less than a two-minute walk from the shop.
“We were prepared to use public transport because we don’t have a car right now, but we were definitely well motivated to find somewhere in Kinsale as we’re open every day between now and Christmas. It’s great to be a part of the community where we’re building our space.”
The Collector will be open from 8 am to 4 pm between now and Christmas, with plans to launch a new schedule in January.