Meet the Founder: Manon Lagrève, Café Manon

Manon Lagrève’s journey to founding Café Manon began with a simple frustration: finding a great-tasting coffee with less caffeine. During pregnancy and early motherhood, she discovered the lack of full-flavoured low-caffeine options—and saw an opportunity. Café Manon was born from that gap, bringing thoughtfully crafted half-caff coffee to the market.

Milly chatted with Manon on how she built her brand, the reality of juggling it all, and her advice for anyone ready to take the leap.

Tell us a bit about Café Manon. What inspired you to start your business?

I learnt to love coffee when I started to work in the city as a consultant, but it's only really after becoming a mum that I really re-evaluated what a good coffee tasted like! To my despair, coffee consumption is of course limited when you are pregnant and or breastfeeding, and so I had to switch to single shot or decaf. Unfortunately I couldn't really find something that hit me with a full flavoured rounded coffee, and that's when I started to look into it and realised Half caff coffee was a thing, but no one knew about it. It felt like the right thing to dig in, and that's when Cafe Manon came along. I've learnt so much about coffee then, what makes it good and what is important to look out for and it's been wonderful!

As a brand founder, content creator and author, how do you balance building your personal brand with growing Café Manon? Do the two ever overlap or challenge each other?

It's definitely a challenge and I do feel like I'm chasing my tail often - especially as I really only have a part time job, as I'm looking after my children the rest of the time. But that is by choice and I'm lucky I can make it work. It means clear boundaries between work and time with my family, and also I don't sweat the small stuff. The two overlap as content creation is my job as well as promoting people's brand and values. It's fun to actually do that for my own and a product I believe in.

What advice would you give to someone looking to start a business?

I would say save at least 6 months of rent, be clear with how much you can invest, because any business is a risk. But taking that risk also means high rewards and a different quality of life and maybe better work life balance. It takes a lot of hard work, a lot of self motivation (which I think is the ultimate thing people tend to forget) because you have no one who is going to do it for you. If you are not a marketing person, invest in one!

Eat in or out?

Eat in, I love cosy nights in

Favourite cookery book?

I don't want to be obnoxious, but considering Chez Manon has my grandparents in it, it will probably has to be that !

Favourite recipe (sweet or savoury!)?

I could eat a whole Tarte Tatin to myself

Favourite restaurant or café?

Josephine Bouchon

Favourite kitchen utensil?

a whisk - does everything

Coffee or tea?

Coffee!

Favourite ByRuby dish?

The vegetable and spinach lasagna is divine! Just like everything tbh!

What 3 items do you always have in your freezer?

peas, homemade stock, homemade bolognese for the children

Dream dinner party guest (celebrity or otherwise!)?

Esther Perel

Thanks so much to Manon for chatting with us and be sure to check out Cafe Manon!