“It's about giving people a platform for their talents”

Heidi Jabbari is in her element as she sits chatting in front of Cafe Joon about the power of community and the importance of people coming together. 

We are surrounded by summer blooms in the planters outside the cafe on Pevensey Road, just east of Eastbourne town centre. 

She is talking enthusiastically about the events and workshops which pack the calendar at the cafe, which make it much more than a place for a coffee and sandwich.  

Among the events are photography walks, a running club, yoga, networking events, a supper club and art workshops. 

Heidi said: “Being part of a community is one of those aspects which can affect our mental health and that we can forget about. 

“A huge part of self-care is putting ourselves into a community and feeling that we're part of something bigger than us. I wanted to be able to bring that to a place where I spend so much time. 

“There have been times when I didn't have friends or didn't feel like Eastbourne was necessarily home, even though I lived here."

Cafe Joon barista Henry Murphy, who has an illustration degree from Kingston University, is running a regular sketchbook club.  

Heidi said: “It’s about giving people a platform for their talents. I love how passionate my barista Henry is about art: I really encouraged him to start the sketch club.” 

The Eastbourne Reporter will be at the cafe next month to talk to people who want to drop by and talk about the stories they would like to see covered. 

Heidi, 30, has packed a lot into her life: extensive travelling, primary school teaching, SEO writing – and now launching and running the cafe. 

She hopes she has achieved the right balance after experiencing the relentless demands of teaching followed by the contrast of solo remote working, where she missed interacting with others. 

Heidi, who is half Persian, was born in Eastbourne and started Cafe Joon with the help of her cousin Lina Jabbari, a food influencer and health coach, who developed the menu.  

Lina now lives in Los Angeles but her website still features the ‘Persian-ish pastrami sandwich’ on the menu in Eastbourne.

Heidi’s family moved around when she was a child, including a spell in Spain, and she went on to spend time in Greece, Turkey, Cape Town and Brazil.  

After training as a teacher, she worked at a primary school in Polegate. 

But the weight of responsibility, packed days of teaching, interacting with colleagues and parents, and a lack of work-life balance became too much. 

She said: “I like working with people, but it was completely draining and I think at that time I didn't know how to separate work and life. I was too young to do that and it completely consumed me: I completely burnt out at the age of 25 and left. 

“It can be too much. You’re learning so much and there's so much responsibility and so much time just gets eaten up by little things. 

“After that, I thought: ‘I want a job where nobody speaks to me, ever’! I just wanted to be given a task, do some work and hand it in,” she laughed. 

So she worked remotely doing SEO writing for a marketing agency in London. It involved a lot of travel content, which she enjoyed and she learnt how to write in a specific way to optimise Google searches. 

"But I ended up thinking that I couldn't handle not seeing anyone and not saying ‘Good morning’ to anyone. I went from one extreme to the other! 

“I knew then that I loved being around people, which was great, because I think I wasn't sure after teaching.” 

The cafe, which opened in April, has a menu which aims to take popular lunch items and give them a Persian twist and flavours. 

“We just have a few toasties on our menu at the moment: we are trying to do a few things really well and not overcomplicate things,” said Heidi.  

For example, in the classic tomato, mozzarella and pesto toastie, Joon has created its own Persian pesto with fresh herbs such as coriander and parsley, and walnuts instead of pine nuts for a sweeter taste. 

Persians love Thousand Island sauce, traditionally made with mayonnaise, tomato sauce and pickles. Joon has made it healthier by soaking cashews to create the creamy base.  

“We have found that people who have our toasties really enjoyed them. We are doing something a bit different, not a big cooked breakfast – there are plenty of places doing that.”  

There is a large downstairs cafe area plus a small garden at the back, so plenty of space for the different activities to bring the community together. 

:: Cafe Joon is open during the day from Tuesday to Sunday. 

:: The Eastbourne Reporter will be at Cafe Joon from 11am to 1pm on Saturday, September 6, for a drop-in session. Come and say hello!