Capturing the essence of Foxes...

After chatting with the charismatic guys at Foxes, I had a few thoughts about the kind of thing that is the essence of this kitsch little cafe.

They are constantly trying to come up with new ways to market themselves, from their cups featuring foxes' snouts to hi-jacking famous images with fox heads, to creating an eye-catching, unique map of the area to draw customers in.

I love this idea of taking images and altering them in a tongue-in-cheek way, as it really captures what the lads and the cafe itself are all about - being fun and being different from any other cafe in this city or any other.

I definitely think this fun, jokey feel is part of the essence of Foxes cafe/lounge.

In this spirit, when we were discussing the idea of an 'essence' with the lads, Luke said that he would 'run around with a jar' and hand that in.

Maybe the essence of the place is as simple as the sights and aromas that hit you as you walk in?

And I really liked this idea of a jar, although not just filled with 'Foxes air'.

The charm of Foxes is mainly down to how eclectic and unique it is - it is impossible to pin it down to one thing, because its essence is, essentially, a bit of everything (almost like an antique shop).

Another thing that struck me about Foxes was how much it reminded me of some of the small, traditional cafes in France. The vintage posters on the wall and mismatched furniture really give it the same relaxed, homely feel that you get in an authentic French coffee shop. I guess it brings a touch of culture to an industry that has been so heavily modernised... You only have to go into Cafe Nero or Costa to see the difference in quality and atmosphere.

With reference to the earlier idea of altering existing images, I thought that it might be interesting to try doing this to some of these French posters, or to vintage French imagery, to give a nod to the way that Foxes has brought tradition into the modern day in a fun, different way.

If Foxes was a style of food, it would definitely be a Red Hot buffet... You have to take in a little bit of everything to capture its essence: music, coffee, tea, milkshakes, smoothies, cakes, books, vintage, warmth, friendliness, alcohol, fun, paninis, bagels, kitsch, eclectic, cool, hip... Even with the biggest plate, you could never experience all of this place in one go, which is another big part of its charm.

Never mind a menu for the food, you need a menu for the experience of this place itself!