Our Staff
Revival is blessed to have a wonderful dedicated team of core staff. They come from diverse backgrounds and have different lived experiences but one thing they all have in common is – they CARE.
Revival Food & Mood is more than just a cafe and the staff reflect this in everything they do, from preparing a decent cup of freshly roasted and ethically sourced coffee, cooking consistently excellent and deliciously healthy food to nourish your body and your soul, through to providing a welcoming and inclusive experience and going the extra mile to listen and support when needed. We hope you join us for Good Food and leave us in Better Mood.
Zoe, Alex & Tara
Zoe
I am the Revival Food & Mood Trainee Manager, I first started working for Revival in Oxford Street in June 2019 and quickly realised it was where I wanted to be. I met Tara who I instantly bonded with and liked the fact we both loved all things vintage.
Revival, like so many of us, has been through some challenging times but the support from the Managers and team is always fantastic. Working at Revival has given me the opportunity to re-train and upskill and work within East Kent Mind as a mental health coach. Revival is a very special place, not just because of its unique vintage style or love of vinyl music on its decks, but mostly because of the people, the wonderful, dedicated team have so much to give and genuinely want to help the people of Whitstable and beyond who are suffering in silence, so that everyone knows that there is a safe place to visit where you are never judged for being who you are.
Alex
I joined Revival in July 2018 looking for a better work life balance and hoping to spend more time with my family. I am a trained chef and enjoy the challenge and creativity of working in a vegetarian eatery.
The staff team at Revival are amazing, really friendly and supportive, many of whom went above and beyond in making me feel so welcome when I joined and I aim to do the same for all new team members. The reality of covid provided an opportunity for me to retrain within East Kent Mind as a mental health coach and I facilitate a Revival peer support group for guys in the area, a MenTalkWalk and I work on the East Kent Mind Barber Project, supporting Barbers to be Mental Health Ambassadors. I love that Revival has enabled me to be more than just a chef and I am proud that what I now do in my expanded role makes a real difference to people in the local community.
Tara
I have lived in the Canterbury District all my life and have loved living in Whitstable for the last 13 and half years. I have a passion for everything creative, especially photography and embroidery. I love going on long walks and generally being at one with nature as I used to be a florist by trade. I am a cold-water swimmer even in winter months which can be quite challenging but great fun!
I joined Revival in 2017 as part of the management team at the original Oxford Street location, during this time I have had the opportunity to re-train and upskill and I am now the wellbeing social prescriber and a mental health mentor and coach. I have seen first hand how important Revival is for the community and in raising mental health awareness and understanding. My journey with Revival has enabled me to challenge myself and use my own personal experiences of mental health and also my creative side to support others. Revival has enabled me to find myself and the tools to improve my own wellbeing and I feel privileged to be able to now also support members of our community on their own mental health journey.
Lynne
I started with Revival back at the very beginning in 2017 as Revival manager. As a qualified chef and experienced Manager I was able to facilitate the setup of the Revival model and help it grow and flourish.
I have been gradually upskilling and retraining, taking on more responsibility for the Mental Health aspects of the organisation and working within East Kent Mind. The change of circumstances in 2020 resulted in my move over to East Kent Mind managing the volunteer and mentoring programme for both East Kent Mind and Revival and the Ramsgate based crisis Cafe. I remain the consultant Manager for Revival so I am often about in person, and I also work at fundraising events. Revival has been and continues to be a very important part of my life.
Deb
Revival is a real project of love for me, having suffered from social anxiety most of my life, I know the value and importance of the way a space or place makes you feel. For me Revival represents belonging, a feeling that is often absent in today’s rushed world where quality is often sacrificed for quantity, for me it’s not about how many ‘trendy’ places you visit, it’s about choosing a place that shares your values, where you feel at home, safe, and welcome, somewhere you can trust.
Having worked with Mind in Bexley and East Kent on their first Revival in Bexleyheath I was invited to develop the model in Whitstable as part of their outreach into East Kent, and I jumped at the chance. It was a privilege to be part of bringing the vibrant, confident and unique Revival approach to the district, changing the way people view and experience mental health spaces for the better and being rooted in the community. Being part of Revival is one of the most creative things I have done in my life, from menu development and interior design to creative wellbeing projects and events. Revival offers so many opportunities to explore, experiment and create and the best bit is we can share it with anyone that walks through the door.
