Luke Polie at Chez Polie in Highwood Village
14/07/2025
3 Great Local Businesses in Berkeley Neighbourhoods
Community is at the heart of our developments. And where better to experience this than at the local coffee shop? We talk to three entrepreneurs about their innovative cafés and why they love their neighbourhoods.
By Jane Common
Chez Polie
Luke Polie is the manager of Chez Polie in Highwood Village in Horsham, West Sussex, a family business, run with his parents Karen and Jean-Francois Polie. Opened in December 2024, Chez Polie is a coffee shop, village store and – in the evenings – wine bar.
Luke says: “Chez Polie is very much a family business. My dad, Jean-Francois, moved to the UK from Mauritius in the 1980s for a Ritz apprenticeship and has worked in fine dining establishments ever since, and my mum, Karen, has had experience in cafés, hotels and retail. I’m an actor but, in between TV and film jobs, I’ve kept myself busy working in restaurants. One day, we all got into a conversation about opening a place together.
“We fell in love with this space when we saw it. I’d been living in London before moving back to Horsham, where I grew up, and I missed the city’s neighbourhood coffee shop vibe. There are a lot of people moving to Highwood Village from London and I guessed they were missing that too.
“So, with 30 covers inside and 40 outside on our terrace, we’ve tried to create that home-from-home feel. On opening day, we had a queue out the door!
“I love watching the Highwood Village community come together here – the dog walkers popping in after their morning walks; mums’ groups in the mornings and people using us a workspace through the day; then the hubbub of the wine bar in the evenings. Some people are in three times a day – for a coffee in the morning, a takeaway lunch and then a glass of wine in the evening.
“Our pop-ups, every Friday and Saturday evening, are popular too. We host wine tastings and one-off events. For example, as there’s a thriving Hong Kongese community here, we held a Chinese New Year celebration.
“These sunny summer evenings have really brought my vision of Chez Polie to life – watching people meeting on our terrace, chatting over glasses of organic wine, makes my heart full. We’re already part of the fabric of the community here and we’re looking forward to serving the people of Highwood Village for many years to come.”
Chez Polie is a village store and wine bar, as well as a coffee shop
Full of Beans
Former Apprentice finalist Khadija Kalifa launched the first Full of Beans soft play café in 2020 and has just opened her fourth in Berkeley’s canalside Grand Union neighbourhood in Wembley, North West London.
Khadija says: “I’m a very community-focused entrepreneur so when we were offered a space for Full of Beans at Berkeley’s Grand Union I was excited by the idea of helping bring people together there.
“The whole ethos behind Full of Beans is around community and connection. When I had my first daughter 11 years ago, I felt quite isolated. Launching Full of Beans was my response to that. Our cafés are somewhere mums and dads can meet and let off steam over a coffee while watching their kids let off steam in the soft play area. They’re a hub for parents and kids.
“I love our space at Grand Union – it’s very chic with contemporary art on the walls and European-style outdoor seating by the canal. In the evenings, the fairy lights criss-crossing the canal sparkle. It’s our biggest Full of Beans with room for parties – we had five in our first month. And north west London feels like home to me as I studied at Middlesex University’s Hendon campus.
“Already, since we opened here in March this year, I can see a new community being forged at Grand Union. Our other Full of Beans are in market towns where many people have roots going back generations. But to be on the ground, helping to build a vibrant community with Berkeley, is wonderful. I frequently get messages from parents saying their kids are asking to go to ‘Orange Beans’, as orange is our theme colour. A community of kids with Full of Beans at its heart – that makes me proud.”
Full of Beans
Khadija with Full of Beans manager Adam West
Moc & More
Havin Kiran lives in Berkeley’s Abbey Barn Park development and runs Moc & More, a coffee shop five minutes’ drive from the woodland village in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Moc and More is, as the name suggests, more than a spot to grab a quick latte – there are weekly yoga sessions and baking and flower-arranging classes.
Havin says: “Living in Abbey Barn Park is wonderful. I’ve been here for three years, since I had my son, and my husband and I feel blessed to have neighbours who are friends. I’m German and when I first moved to the UK six years ago, I lived in the sort of town where everybody had been to school together. As a newcomer nobody said hello to me, and I often felt lonely. But here at Abbey Barn Park we’re putting down roots and building a strong, welcoming community.
“I’m passionate about Moc & More being at the centre of that community. On Instagram I’ve written that we’re crafting love, one latte at a time. Running a coffee shop was always my dream, somewhere with great vibes where people feel like they’re on holiday when they step through the door.
“So our décor is what I call boho Mediterranean; there’s jazz music playing in the background and flowers supplied by a local florist. And all our products are fresh baked – I’m here first thing in the morning with my mixing bowl. My favourite thing is hearing someone compliment Moc & More, not knowing I run it. That makes me so happy.
“I supply pastries and sandwiches to the Berkeley team at Abbey Barn Park. The team are very proactive about bringing people together organising Easter and summer parties in our glorious parkland. There are lots of young families here – it feels very clean and safe for children – and through those parties we’ve bonded. Now, when it’s sunny, we’re always into and out of each other’s houses for barbecues. It’s lovely to watch our children becoming friends and I’m excited to watch those childhood friendships develop over time. The kids really are the roots of our community.”
Find out more and book a viewing at Highwood Village, Grand Union or Abbey Barn Park.
Havin outside Moc & More
Moc & More