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AUTHOR: SALTS | 11.09.26
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, BAFFLE STARTED BACK IN 2014 WATCHING DAVID BECKHAM ON TV.
I WISH I COULD TELL YOU IT WAS A BIT MORE RUGGED AND A BIT LESS CLICHÉ, BUT SAM AND I WERE TOTALLY SOLD ON THE COOL FACTOR.
THE CUSTOM BONNIES, THE OPEN-ROAD ADVENTURES AND THE FUN IN SHARING THE RIDE WITH A MATE HAD US LOCKED IN. WE BOOKED OUR BIKE TESTS AND THE REST IS HISTORY.
BORN OUT OF A SHARED OBSESSION WITH MOTORS, GOOD TIMES, AND PROPER COFFEE.
BAFFLE HAUS IS FORMED BY THREE OWNERS: SAM DAYMOND, GEORGE NORTH & ANDREW SALTER.
SO, BACK TO DAY ONE...
The seed was planted.
Unashamedly inspired by watching David Beckham ride custom Triumph Bonnevilles in his series Into the Unknown, we didn't yet realize that was precisely where we were heading.
CBTs were booked and, most importantly, our Instagram page, Baffle Culture, was officially launched.
More information on this particular chapter is covered in Salts' blog post, The Road to Baffle.
Pictured: Salts on his 125cc Mutt motorcycle.
The first sip.
It was "big bike" time.
Sam picked up a 1989 Moto Guzzi Mille GT, fresh out of the workshop of Cid Motorcycles, Sam's genius custom bike-building father. Salts was on an ever-temperamental 2005 Harley-Davidson Sportster 883.
Those days were spent riding, drinking far too much coffee, and enjoying a few beers.
Great bikes and great coffee... we realised there might just be something to this. A nod goes to Dan at Lufkin Coffee Roasters for showing us what a proper flat white could actually look and taste like.
With the concept introduced through a budget Salts design, a visual style that hasn't changed much since, our dream was officially born: Baffle House.
Pictured: The first concept... Baffle House.
Baffle team assemble.
More coffee, more riding, and more Instagramming, the building blocks were rapidly taking shape.
Baffle Culture was leading the charge as we formed a tight-knit club and social group, bringing George into the Baffle journey alongside fellow "Bafflers" Oli, Andrew, and Jamie.
Using the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride (DGR) as a focal point to meet up and ride, the Baffle Culture WhatsApp group was created.
As expected, the ideas started flowing thick and fast.
Pictured: George on the left with his custom XS 650, and Jamie on the right.
The beginning of Baffle Haus.
Social ride-outs were becoming the norm, and our Baffle Culture Instagram account was gaining traction. Like so many others, we were stepping into an era where jumping on two wheels was officially cool again.
That was the year we finally got the chance to give our cafe concept a real shot. Fellow Baffler Oli offered us a space inside his building at the time, The Cedars.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this was the official beginning of Baffle Haus, The Cedars.
Pictured: Sam (and Ted) alongside the Guzzi at The Cedars.
Locked down, but far from out.
It was a surreal chapter in our whole Baffle journey. Navigating the constant shift in COVID restrictions, we somehow managed to keep the momentum rolling forward.
We even convinced Sam to leave his job in Canada and return home to help run our first-ever event and official opening, the Royal Enfield Weekender.
The weekend was a massive success and provided a true glimpse of what the venue could ultimately become. With a series of public weekend openings, Baffle Haus was firmly established.
Pictured: Sam standing right in front of The Cedars building alongside a couple of Royal Enfields.
We were in.
Social distancing and face masks at the ready, takeaway coffee became our signature offering. One could argue that having no tables or chairs actually worked to our advantage.
Sam effectively signed his life away, working, or rather volunteering, while the rest of the crew chipped in whenever and wherever we could.
It was a mix of hard graft and great times, marking a massive year in getting our entire operation up and running.
Pictured: George taking center stage, with Sam right beside him.
Now we were sizzling.
Enter the Fuel Station: a bruised and battered shipping container we dragged right into the car park. Cut, welded, and fully kitted out, all that remained was the small task of hiring some chefs, enter Gary and Andrew.
It was during this phase that retail was more formally introduced to our offering. This marked a true turning point for both departments, which have since evolved into core pillars of our daily operations today.
Unsurprisingly, momentum showed no signs of slowing. It was a steep learning curve for everyone involved, but an incredible amount of fun all the same.
Pictured: Sam and Salts painting the container roof in the height of summer...
Full Haus.
We were busy, growing fast, and actively hiring. It was fair to say this humble idea of a little coffee shop was evolving into something far bigger than we originally anticipated.
Somehow, we even managed to squeeze in an incredible 10-day motorcycle expedition from Namibia to Cape Town.
Salts retired from professional cricket and joined Sam full-time in what some might actually call a "proper job."
Around this time, we also went to scout a prospective new location, Old Post.
Pictured: The Cedars
go time.
so, decision made; we've got a baffle to build.
Yes, we also decided this was a good time to double the indoor capacity at The cedars with fitting a full commercial kitchen...
this was mad.
As you can see from the picture below, OLD POST needed a lot of work, time and money! This wasn't a small decision but it felt right.
Great location and big car park, boxes ticked.
oh, and we started baffle beer with tiny rebel, that was cool.
December 2024, old post opened and took us straight into the new year.
Pictured: old post before the renovation.
BINGOOOO
Ok, sorry, i was too quick to look ahead to our christmas staff party at bingo lingo... rewind.
a big year was ahead of us. old post was a sprint start that didn't slow down.
The team were epic, we scrambled and fought our way through a busy introduction to the new site.
The Cedars welcomed the new kitchen with essentially double the indoor capacity so there wasn't much slowing down there either!
events were being implemented across the two locations with retail growing by the day.
and yes, we enjoyed a biiig staff party to say thanks for all the hard work. Growing the baffle team is something we're most proud of and enjoying this journey is absolutely paramount.
Pictured: Bingo Lingo christmas party.
so far...
We've picked up where we left off.
No, not shouting bingo with bottomless steins... but with a real intention to deliver the best baffle experience possible.
The team are super dedicated and driven to do something special. across the board we pride ourselves on consistency and product quality all wrapped up in a high volume enviroment.
Behind the scenes there's management meetings and plenty of head scratching.
it's an exciting time for the business and there's no signs of slowing down.
Onwards and upwards.
Soundtrack your perfect ride out with our Haus DJ's top selects
Open as usual on bank holidays.
