Surrey Heath's new board game café
Board games have seen a market growth of 23% since the first lockdown in March 2020
Last updated 21st Jan 2022
A new café for board game enthusiasts opened this week at The Square in Camberley, Surrey Heath.
Board games have seen a resurgence following the first lockdown back in March 2020 with a market growth of 23% stimulated by a renewed love of the fun and escapism traditional and new board games offer.
Owner Kieran Adams, 23, shares a passion for café culture and board games. The ‘Of Dice and Men’ café aims to combine the two, providing customers with a new leisure experience along with a bonus wellbeing boost.
Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio, Kieran Adams told us his girlfriend at the time and a trip to the North of England helped him come up with the idea.
"I started collecting board games that were introduced to me by work friends, and I started collecting them. And it got to a point where I had like too many for any one person to have.
"My girlfriend at the time said he should think about doing something with these games. And then I went up to a board game café that popped up in the North of England. And I was like, we could do something like this down in Camberley."
Kieran also revealed how his establishment's name is a wordplay on the classic 'Of Mice and Men' by John Steinbeck:
"It's a fun play on words. But there's kind of a deeper meaning too. The story by Steinbeck is of men who follow their dream, which mirrors out perfectly what's gone on with this, in the sense that I've started this business and my dad has been helping me with business advice and running some of the paperwork in the background, where I've been like running the day-to-day operating of the cafe."
Health benefits for the older generations
Research suggests there are many health benefits linked to board games. Besides helping individuals to relax and reduce stress, they also support the retention of dexterity, memory skills and cognitive associations proved to be key in reducing the risk of the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
The owner also plans to host sessions for those in the community who are suffering from age-related illnesses such as Alzheimer’s or Dementia, along with their carers to play games of a bygone era to help aid memory stimulation.
"I got an insight when I was working as a chef in a few different care homes, and I got to interact with a lot of people suffering with Dementia and some of these illnesses. And one thing that helped them was playing a game from a bygone era.
" I love the thought of being able to help people. And if opening up the café and playing some games with these people and offering a cup of tea is a way to do it, I'm all for it."
Rhoda Joseph, Centre Manager of The Square said ‘It’s so exciting to have Of Dice and Men Board Game Café add to the options for fun we offer. We look forward to their success’.
The café will be open Tuesday – Friday 12- 11pm, Saturday 10am-11pm and Sundays 12 – 11pm, serving a selection of hot and cold drinks and snacks to keep players replenished.
There will also be the opportunity to book a private area to host a small child’s party, group of friends or even a team building event.