The launch of Oxford United’s 2026/27 third kit brings together food, culture, community and football, celebrating the people and influences that make Oxford unique.
As part of the Club’s three-part Inspires Series, Culture Inspires was filmed at Kazbar on Cowley Road, placing the character, energy and diversity of one of Oxford’s most vibrant areas at the heart of the campaign. Featuring Oxford United players alongside members of the local community, the campaign celebrates the different backgrounds, traditions and experiences that come together across the city.
For Kazbar, being part of the campaign provided an opportunity to showcase not only the team behind one of Cowley Road’s best-known venues, but also the values that have shaped their story. What began with Fernando’s café has grown into a wider hospitality business encompassing Kazbar, Café CoCo, Al Andalus, catering, events, international schools and university canteens, while retaining a focus on people, hospitality and creating places where communities come together.
Fernando, Filipe and their team have been part of Oxford for more than two decades, with their businesses becoming woven into the fabric of the city. From regular customers and local staff to visitors from around the world, Kazbar reflects the diversity and sense of community that makes Oxford and, in particular, Cowley Road, so distinctive.
Following their starring role in the Culture Inspires campaign, we caught up with the co-owner of Kazbar, Filipe, to find out more about their story, their connection to Oxford, the importance of community and what makes the city such a special place to call home.
Tell us a little bit about your business and its story.
Our story in Oxford started with Fernando’s café, serving simple, honest food such as chicken carbonara and picanha with rice and beans. From the beginning, it was about more than food. It was about looking after people properly and creating places they wanted to come back to.
Over the years, that grew into Kazbar, Café CoCo, Al Andalus and a wider business that now includes catering, events, international schools and university canteens. A lot has changed, but the heart of it has stayed the same.
How long have you been part of the Oxford community?
Fernando and I have both been part of Oxford for more than 20 years. I did my secondary school, A levels and university here, so the city shaped a big part of who I am. Fernando has worked in hospitality since he arrived, and I have spent more than 15 years in the trade too.
Oxford is not just where we work. It is where we grew up, built relationships and found our place.
What makes your business unique to Oxford?
We want our venues to feel full of life, relaxed, welcoming and a little bit eclectic. Oxford is made up of all sorts of people - students, families, professors, locals and visitors - and we have always tried to create spaces where all of them feel comfortable.
That mix is what makes Oxford special, and we train our staff to welcome all of them, not just serve them.
Why is being based in Oxford special to you?
Oxford is special because it has so much depth. It is beautiful and historic, but it also feels young, international and full of energy.
You meet people from all over the world, but at the same time there is still a strong local heartbeat. That balance is rare, and it is what makes running a business here feel so personal.
How has the city changed since you first opened?
Oxford has changed a lot over the years. It has become busier, more polished and more competitive, particularly since the opening of Westgate. We have seen more chains arrive and some independent names disappear, which has changed the feel of parts of the city.
There has also been a lot of change around cars, with the low-traffic schemes and congestion measures, and that has divided opinion quite a bit.
What we have always tried to hold onto is that personal touch - knowing your regulars, having a proper chat and making people feel seen. However much Oxford changes, I still think there will always be room for places that feel real.
What do you love most about the local community?
The relationships, without question. Oxford is full of interesting people, and through hospitality you get to know them in a very genuine way.
It is also one of the hardest parts, because so many people here are only passing through for a chapter of their life. But the lovely thing about Oxford is that people often come back, and they still pop in to say hello years later.
The proper regulars, the people you see week in, week out, become part of the place.
Do Oxford United supporters visit your business on matchdays?
We are a little bit off the main Oxford United matchday route, so we do not get huge numbers, but we definitely get some locals in before and after games.
One of my favourite traditions is a group from Sweden who come over once a year to watch Oxford and stay in the city for a few days. They come in for brunch every morning while they are here, and they are always great fun.
Seeing them start the day with pints of lager and Bloody Marys at 9:00am is a yearly reminder that football fans really do know how to enjoy themselves. When they turn up, it always feels like football is properly back.
What’s the best thing about running a business in Oxford?
Definitely the people you get to meet. Oxford is packed with interesting characters, and you feel it in every part of the city - in Jericho, in the city centre, and above all on Cowley Road, which, without any bias, has to be one of the best roads in the world and easily one of the most diverse.
In a single day, you will serve people from completely different walks of life, different countries and different stories, and you become a small part of all of it. Birthdays, first dates, coffees before work, quiet catch-ups - that is the best thing: being woven into so many different lives in one city.
How important is community support for independent businesses?
It means everything. Independent businesses survive because people choose places with heart and character over the easiest option.
That support is not just about sales. It is about loyalty, word of mouth and people wanting you to do well. It also works both ways. We try to give something back by hiring local people, training them properly and creating places that serve the community around them.
How would you describe Oxford to someone visiting for the first time?
I would say interesting and diverse, more than anything. Yes, it has the famous buildings and the academic reputation, but that is only the surface.
Walk down Cowley Road and you will pass food from every corner of the world, independent shops, music, students, families, people who have lived here their whole lives and people who arrived last week. Jericho has its own charm, the city centre has the history, and every neighbourhood has its own feel.
It is a city where old and new sit side by side, and where you never quite know who you will end up talking to. It is not just somewhere you look at; it is somewhere you feel.
You can visit Kazbar's website below.
Oxford United's 2026/27 Third Kit is now on sale and can be purchased online and in-store.
