OUR RIDERS
Claye Tobin, co-founder of Uncommon
12 December, 2023
Uncommon has become one of our favourite pit stops for a reason. The café and coffee roastery in Amsterdam West is as serene as it is friendly, with coffee that’s as unique as it is delicious. When we set up the team with an Uncommon x Veloretti bike, we couldn’t help but ask co-founder Claye Tobin a few curious questions.
How did Uncommon come about?
After searching for years, we [Claye and fellow co-founders Nina Tromp and Josh Cotton] finally found the right location in Amsterdam to showcase our coffees. We had spent quite a few years travelling to origin to learn everything we could about the lives of the people we are working with and we met lots of great people, all of them with inspiring stories. In each country we found that our producers had so many challenges coming their way growing coffee, which they overcome on a daily basis, with lots of skill and creativity. Most of us don’t realise what is behind our daily cup of coffee and we wanted to connect people to our producers and hopefully inspire a more conscious way of consuming.
Your shop is located in the middle of the city on a busy street with lots of bikers passing by. Why should they stop at Uncommon?
Most people in Amsterdam have extremely busy and stressful lives. They’re always on the go and in a rush to get from A to B. When starting Uncommon, we set off with a mission to create a space where you could disconnect from the busyness of everyday life to enjoy a coffee, pastry or meal in a minimalistic and cosy setting. We hope this creates the space and time to connect to each product and learn about our fantastic producers and their stories.
How would you describe the average Uncommon customer?
We have customers from all over the world, which we love! We’d say they all have their own uncommon-ness, but if there would be a common denominator we’d say it’s a love for coffee, conscious consumption, and an eye for design.
Do you have any secret signature menu items our riders should know about?
Our kimchi toastie, vegan banana bread and signature filter coffees are all that any Veloretti enthusiast needs to get through the day!