A Cute Pub

I work at Automattic and they have an extremely unusual set-up (that I’ve written about before): they’re a wholly remote company and always have been. Maybe that’s not so unusual, except for the fact that they’re also a 20+ year old company and so have been remote since long before COVID.

With two decades of experience of a fully remote company, they know a thing or two about the challenges that presents and how to mitigate those challenges. One of the benefits they offer is a co-working allowance. Each month, we get money to either pay for a co-working space or, and this is the great bit, pay for food/drink in cafes.

In my little village in North Yorkshire, there aren’t co-working spaces nearby but there are a whole bunch of places that are nice to sit, will provide me coffee and a sandwich, and let me see that other people exist out and about. Those sorts of places tend to like you to spend some money while you’re there hogging their heating and wifi, and in recognition of this, Automattic let me expense food and drinks while working.

It’s not unlimited and I can’t take the mick (no alcohol, no three-course meals), but it’s a great way to get out of the house and patronise local businesses.

Today I’m at the Punch Bowl Inn in Marton-cum-Grafton and it’s wonderful. A classic old British pub. Small windows and low ceilings (it’s real old) so it’s not too hot, a really broad menu, Kiss from a Rose playing, and historic flourishes everywhere. What’s not to like?

Anyway, my sandwich is just turning up so I better get to it.