There are lots of things we’re proud of at Acorns Coffee.
The awards. The coffee. The roastery. The customers who return week after week.
But some of our proudest moments have nothing to do with coffee at all.
They involve watching our son George grow up alongside the business.
When we started Acorns Coffee back in 2021, George was just a toddler. At the time, we were serving coffee from a horsebox and trying to build something that would support our family whilst creating a place people genuinely wanted to visit.
Like many small family businesses, there was never really a separation between work life and family life. The business became part of our daily lives, and George was there for almost all of it.
From the very beginning, he was part of the journey.
He spent afternoons wrapped in blankets while we served customers. He sat in corners colouring whilst meetings happened around him. He watched coffee bags being packed, cakes being delivered and endless conversations about how we could make Acorns just a little bit better.
Back then he was simply tagging along.
Now, at seven years old, he’s become something else entirely.
He’s become one of the team.
Not officially, of course.
But anyone who visits regularly will probably recognise him.
He’s often behind the counter asking questions, helping tidy tables, carrying things that are probably slightly too heavy for him, and making sure everyone knows exactly what is happening in the world of wrestling that week.
The questions never stop.
How does the coffee roaster work?
Why do different coffees taste different?
Why do customers buy one coffee and not another?
How many coffees did we sell today?
Sometimes the questions are simple.
Sometimes they’re surprisingly difficult to answer.
But that’s one of the things we love most.
George sees the business through completely fresh eyes.
The funny thing is that while coffee has become a huge part of our lives, George’s own interests couldn’t be more different.
At the moment, wrestling is everything.
If there’s a wrestling move, a wrestler, a championship belt or a storyline, chances are George knows all about it.
When he’s not talking about wrestling, he’s usually talking about judo.
We’ve watched him develop confidence, discipline and determination through his training, and many of those same qualities are beginning to show up in how he approaches life generally.
He gives things a go.
He asks questions.
He isn’t afraid to get involved.
They’re qualities that matter in sport, but they’re also qualities that matter in business.
One of the things running Acorns Coffee has taught us is how quickly time moves.
You spend years focused on opening a business, improving the website, roasting better coffee, serving customers and planning for the future.
Then one day you look up and realise the little boy who used to sit quietly in the corner is now reaching up to organise coffee bags on the shelves.
The photo above captures one of those moments perfectly.
George wasn’t posing for a picture.
He was simply helping.
Straightening stock.
Looking after the display.
Taking ownership in the way children naturally do when they’ve grown up around something they care about.
To most people, it’s just a picture of a child reaching for a bag of coffee.
To us, it’s a reminder of how far both the business and our family have come.
Acorns Coffee has always been about more than coffee.
It’s about family.
It’s about community.
It’s about creating a welcoming place here in Bordon where people can stop for a drink, catch up with friends and feel part of something local.
Many of our customers have watched George grow up over the years.
Some remember him as a toddler.
Some remember him racing around the sports club with endless energy.
Some have watched him become the confident young lad he is today.
In many ways, that’s what community is all about.
People growing together.
Sharing chapters of life together.
Celebrating milestones together.
We don’t know whether George will grow up to work in coffee.
He might become a wrestler.
He might become a judo champion.
He might choose something completely different.
Whatever path he takes, one thing is certain.
Acorns Coffee will always be part of his story.
And he’ll always be a huge part of ours.
— Dayne & Tracey
