Isle of Wight coffee shop Lagom run by former England rugby star

Lagom Coffee Co, on Sherborne Street, is run by Richard and Annicka de Carpentier.

Richard, a former England rugby 7s international, Harlequins and Bath back row, opened the shop with his wife after he retired from the game.

Annicka, from Bembridge, follows in the lineage of her family being involved in the village, as her father and great grandfather both had shops there.

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Richard said: "We bought a house here after Covid. I was playing for England 7s and everyone got made redundant, and I ended up signing for Harlequins after that, and then Bath, and then came back here.

"When I was still playing, at the end I was thinking what can we do on the Isle of Wight? Where's the best beach and where's the best coffee shop?"

Richard went on to do barista courses at Extract Coffee Roasters in Bristol and the coffee shop opened in November 2024, offering specialty-brewed drinks.

Having travelled the world with England, Richard said he and his teammates used to try to find the best coffee shops on their rest days as they wouldn't be drinking alcohol to ensure match fitness.

Some of his contemporaries in rugby have also gone on to start coffee businesses after retirement.

He said: "I have gone from running into people for 15 years to running a coffee shop.

"The only thing I have ever known is teams, so I want it to be where everyone pulls for each other. If you are happy coming to work you are going to work harder."

The grinder on the counter counts the amount of uses, which has now ticked over to around 96,000.

Now two and a half years into their venture, the shop has hosted events and trades at The Point in the summer alongside other local businesses.

Lagom Coffee Co is on Sherborne Street in Bembridge.

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