Leeds couple who sold coffee from horse trailer in lockdown open first Humbl Coffee shop in Meanwood

Humbl Coffee has earned a cult following in Meanwood since it was launched last year, with customers begging Matt Pease-Bower and Georgina Milner to open a unit.

After pondering over ideas for a business, the pair fixed up an old horse trailer during lockdown, with the help of Matt's dad, and started selling coffee from a parking bay in Meanwood.

"Within an hour and a half, it was crazy busy," Matt, 35, told the Yorkshire Evening Post.

“But it wasn’t a long term location.”

After securing permission to trade on a patch of land near Stone Mill Way, the business went from strength to strength - with customers queuing up to try their specialty coffee.

Matt has a background in hospitality, while Georgina works in marketing for Ilkley Cinema, but Matt always had dreams of running his own business.

He added: "Between the pair of us we have most of what we need to do this.

"And Georgina has been very supportive - generally patient, but sometimes not so much!”

Just as the Humbl trailer was celebrating its first birthday in April this year, Matt and Georgina stumbled across a unit on Monk Bridge Road that was up for sale.

"That was on the day we were celebrating the one year of the trailer," Matt said.

"It felt like it was meant to be.”

After securing the unit, the pair launched a Crowdfunder page to raise £4,000 towards two coffee machines.

Within 28 days, almost £5,000 had been donated.

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“There’s been some really emotional moments," Matt said.

"A lot of people are taught that if you want to be successful, you need to disassociate the personal element and you need to think clinically and be driven by sales.

“But that’s certainly not how I’m wired. I care more about the interaction and the quality of what we do.

“The fact they were willing to help us with this project means the world to me. I will continue to thank them, but I’ll never be able to thank them enough.

“They turned an opportunity into a possibility.”

Humbl Coffee opened on Friday, serving specialty coffee, soft drinks and snacks - with plans to serve more food options once the business is up-and-running.

But Matt wants the Meanwood community to be at the heart of every decision, and plans to run community projects from the shop, as well as partnering up with local schools and artists.

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“It’s an approachable, unpretentious and friendly coffee shop," Matt added.

“It has to fit the area; we've very community oriented.

“I genuinely love socialising with people and I love listening - trying to make someone’s day that little bit better.

"When I’ve worked with people in the past I’ve had to compromise my principles and I don’t appreciate that. I want to do something that’s in line with my ethics and my beliefs.

“We want to listen to the people around us and be a positive influence. Our ethos is to be the change you want to see."