There’s a new artist on display this week: Peter Lennon’s stunning local photography is up on the wall behind the coffee bar and looks absolutely amazing:

There’s a new super-duper boiler behind the counter (James called it “the Ferrari of boilers” – he gets excited by things like that), thanks to our wonderful tea suppliers at Suki Tea.  (Any rumours of a burst pipe and a Titanic-style flood during its installation, complete with anguished cries of “Women and children first!”, are of course completely true.)

But all credit to Wes and Colin who brought the raging waters back under control and were therefore rewarded with the first cuppa from the new Ferrari:

There are new flavours of coffee on offer as well – every week we’ll be showcasing a new gourmet blend of some of the richest, tastiest, most exotic coffees from all over the world (all freshly ground on site just minutes before making their way into your mug).   Just check the the blackboard on the pillar beside the counter to see what’s brewing this week:

There’s even some new flora and fauna – have you seen the huge new purple trees, donated by our Abseiling Window Cleaners?

And as always in The Dock, it’s not the product that matters as much as the process.  Much as I love having superb coffee, tea and artwork in the cafe, what really brings me joy is the knowledge that it’s all thanks to people donating their time, gifts, talent, energy, enthusiasm and even plumbing skills… A community of people bound by the immense fun of living Life in the Titanic Quarter.

Shorter than Lord Of The Rings… With less Ewoks than Star Wars… More restful than the Godfather Trilogy… Containing more cups of tea than Indiana Jones… It can only be another trilogy of short films featuring The Dock!

The first – the Star Wars if you will, setting the scene of our galaxy far far away (just off the motorway and turn left) – was made a few months back by Jules and the guys from UCB as part of their ‘Real God – Real People’ series of faith stories:

The second, in the tradition of The Empire Strikes Back, is darker and ends on a cliffhanger.  Of course, it’s only dark because an iPhone camera can’t pick up the details in the shadows on a sunny day in Dock Cafe, and the cliffhanger is:  What happens next? Will yet more customers arrive to enjoy yummy scones and soup?

The third, a la Return Of The Jedi, is a story of hope and redemption… it’s a part of a recent Mindwise project called ‘All Along The River’,  which started with a boat trip on the River Lagan and ended with a fantastic art project on display in Dock Cafe:

So there you go – another Titanic trilogy!   And just as they can’t stop making new extra Star Wars trilogies, Dock World is always finding new stories – look out for new artwork, new developments and new movies (including Nate’s epic Story Of The Dock) appearing on a screen near you this holiday season…

Saturdays used to be dead as a dodo in the Titanic Quarter… not any more!

Some fantastic shots from Jeremy at The Big Wooden Box of different stalls being set up at DOCK Market this weekend:

And some pics of the buzz of life once the Market started to swing… the atmosphere was great, and the quality and variety of stalls were absolutely brilliant:

And meanwhile in DOCK Cafe, our second week of Eats and Seats was a fantastic success – the cafe was packed with customers enjoying not just yummy scones and tasty soup from The Dock, but freshly-cooked-to-order fry-ups served by Angie and the gang from the Mace (I even got to enjoy a fry with me mum and dad):

Order your brunch on Saturdays, pay for it in the Green Deli next door, then come get a mug of tea or coffee in The Dock Cafe and they’ll bring your food to you – just pop a donation in the honesty box to cover your drinks.

What better way to spend a Saturday – a  breakfast fry and a freshly-brewed coffee in DOCK Cafe, a bit of shopping, browsing and some tasty lunch in DOCK Market, supporting local businesses and being part of Life in the Titanic Quarter!

I can still hardly believe my eyes every time (about 50 times an hour) I check Trip Advisor for restaurant reviews in Belfast and Dock Cafe appears as no.1 – first out of 745!

In a world which often prefers to knock people down than build them up, it is deeply  moving and humbling to read all the amazing reviews – I am hugely grateful to the many people who put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard I suppose) to tell the story of their trip to The Dock.  Looking around the cafe on a busy bustly day like today, it’s incredible to realise that out there in the midst of the throng of customers so many people are finding a welcome, a sanctuary and a home-from-home in our crazy hand-built pop-up cafe.

If you haven’t already, check out the Trip Advisor reviews here, and the next time you see a Dock volunteer, give them a wee pat on the back – it truly is thanks to them that people enjoy their visit to The Dock so much.

Here’s a sample of some of the comments:

Our 7 year old son said the Dock was “Most wonderfully excellent” I have to agree.

It is truly was a great place to sit and hangout. Loved it.

Great decor, great location – hope it continues!

The Dock Honest Box cafe is seriously a gem to Belfast. My boyfriend and I found out about it during money struggling times when we couldn’t afford to be working at other cafés.

amaaaaazing 🙂 yummy soup and wheaten, best atmosphere, lovely hive of business … could have stayed all day!

I have to say I will have to make this a regular spot for myself. I had the best chai tea I’ve ever tasted and the honesty box idea is great.

Great range of teas, lovely soup and delicious scones. The volunteers are really friendly and the artwork and decor is cool.

Really welcoming, relaxed and quirky. Great concept with its ‘honesty box’ and BYOF policy.   Miss match furniture is very tastefully arranged to provide lots of different cozy seating areas.

I would return to Belfast to visit the dock again.

This is surely another example of what Belfast really has to offer and is well worth supporting. Thanks to all the staff and keep up the good work.

This place has restored my faith in human nature.

It all just makes me feel very very thankful – to the people who took time to write a review, to the fabulous volunteers and team who give so much time and love to Dock Cafe, to God that I get to be part of this amazing ever-expanding life-changing adventure.

Who would’ve dreamt of this when we opened the doors two years ago!

Back to The Dock!  And what a joy for the Bennetts, returning from a few weeks away campervanning around our beautiful world, to get home to find The Dock more vibrant, exciting and full of life than ever…

Just a day or two back in The Dock Cafe and I’ve had to re-learn our whole coffee-making system – we now grind our beans on-site so that every cup of coffee is as fresh, tasty and rich as it can possibly be.  (As you can see James was very patient teaching me to use the grinding machine)

We arrived back in the nick of time for the first day of a brand-new idea for Saturday mornings – ‘Eats and Seats’.  In tandem with our fantastic neighbours at The Green Deli next door in the Mace, you can now have a proper Ulster Fry for Saturday brunch in The Dock Cafe – just order & pay for your food in Mace, get a comfy seat and a nice cuppa in The Dock Cafe, and The Green Deli staff will deliver your freshly-cooked fry right to your table!

Food for the soul as well, as the Dock Prayer Team are now available Fridays 4pm-6:30pm and Saturdays 11am–2pm, and are very happy to chat, listen or pray with anyone who wants to spend a bit of time unburdening any stresses, hopes or worries.

All change outside too – with fantastic new signage (good work Jeremy & team) for the Cafe:

and for The Dock Market across the way (which got off to a roaring start last Saturday and will continue bi-weekly for the foreseeable future):

Loads to celebrate and talk about as we gather on SS Nomadic tomorrow night (3rd Aug) for our latest Sunday Night On Nomadic.  ‘Colour’ is the theme and we’ll be hearing from lots of people who use their creative gifts – as well as enjoying a little tour of some of the nooks and crannies of the cafe, enjoying coffee, prayer, worship, fellowship and general Sunday evening wonderfulness:

It’s good to be back!