During the day he’ll be serving his Clipper Mocha Coffee made from freshly ground coffee beans, while children can enjoy the taste of the high seas with his Clipper rum flavoured chocolate and banana milk shake. As the sun goes down, Philip is convinced his Clipper Rum Runner cocktail will have the crews rolling in the aisles! Philip is continuing the Clipper theme with the décor in the cafe, creating new signs for the event as well as special orange clipper balloons.

"I saw the effect and the success that the start of the Clipper race had for the city of Liverpool and I’m just trying to play my part in doing the same for Hull," said Philip.

Philip explained how the Clipper initiative was just the latest way in which Soho was promoting itself to customers, following its opening at the start of the year.

"The bar has been an evening venue for a long time, but we wanted to expand its use into the day time as well, hence the expansion into coffee and other fresh drinks as well as home made sandwiches, meatballs, fajitas, salad bowls, jacket potatoes, in fact, you name it and we probably do it!"

The initiative seems to be working with Soho now building up a regular clientele.

"Our key issue here is getting sufficient passing footfall, so we really depend on getting regular custom, and fortunately that really seems to be happening with many people either coming back or recommending us to others. We even had someone from Holland who was in here again for a second time recently!"

Philip added that events like the Clipper weekend were helpful in making the Old Town an attractive place to be. He said: "I’m hoping that by closing off Castle Street, people will find it easier to wander across to this side of town. In general people need a particular reason to come to the Old Town and we hope that events like the Clipper and the Freedom Festival plus ideas such as our special drinks will provide that special reason."

While it may be another year before the Clipper crews return, Philip is hoping that anyone else trying his maritime creations will be coming back much sooner.

To contact Philip at Soho, call 01482 222679.