A cannabis 'influencer' and his drug 'connoisseur' partner ran a cafe that brazenly sold imported American 'Cali weed' from a 'highly sophisticated' industrial unit in Cheetham Hill. Ben Gardner, 36, and his then partner, Zoe Chrysanthou, 31, have both been jailed after the 'commercial' operation was uncovered by police.
Manchester Crown Court heard the unit had been converted into the 'Joint Café', where members paid £40 to enter. As well as using cannabis, members could enjoy a bar serving food and drink and entertainment, including pool tables and games consoles.
Gardner, who is said to be a cannabis 'influencer', was involved in promoting the cafe on social media. Chrysanthou flew to California to arrange for the importation of Californian weed to be served on the premises.
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When police arrived at the cafe, which had almost 1,800 paying members, they found around 70 people inside, with many trying to flee. A judge said the cafe was in "a determined and flagrant breach" of drug laws, "designed to generate thousands of pounds of profit". "By all accounts this was a highly sophisticated commercial operation which was concerned with the sale of cannabis to customers in the same way that legitimate cafes and bars sell their wares," Judge John Potter said.
Lawyers for Gardner and Chrysanthou both appealed for the couple to be spared prison, citing the "devastating" effect it could have on their five-year-old child. But Judge Potter sentenced the couple to 31 and 27 months in prison respectively.
Prosecutors say the cafe first came onto police radar in November 2018, after officers spotted two men leaving an industrial unit on Knowsley Street in Cheetham Hill. After stopping them, the men were found to be in possession of cannabis.
When officers entered the unit, they were "overwhelmed" by the smell of drugs, prosecutor Harriet Lavin said. They arrested about 70 people inside, many of whom tried to escape through various fire exits.
Those stopped by police came from all over the North West. One was from Ireland. Police later discovered that the unit was home to the 'Joint Café', a club run on a commercial basis. The owners of the unit had taken out a ten-year lease after paying a £3,000 deposit.
The rent for the unit was £25,000 a year. Customers paid between £30 and £40 for membership, which gave them access to the café. It had a bar serving food and drinks, pool tables and games consoles, and used a 'highly advanced' extraction system. The Joint Café had a total of 1,788 members.
When police seized a phone, they discovered a weekly work schedule for the staff working at the cafe, a menu of the different types of cannabis available and a list of members. Zoe Chrysanthou had flown to California in June 2018, the same time the cafe first opened, at a time when there was a "business need for imported Californian weed", Ms Lavin said.
A WhatsApp group chat set up by Gardner was also discovered, which allowed officers to identify other people involved. Those behind the club had used social media to 'openly advertise' its existence, with an Instagram account boasting around 10,000 followers.
In a post announcing they had 'closed', the account said: "The pigs can't close us down, and neither can IG." It was discovered they were also in the process of opening a second cafe, in a different branch in Cheetham Hill.
The judge said the business was run by Gardner and his then partner Zoe Chrysanthou. Zoe Chrysanthou, who described herself to police as a "cannabis connoisseur", had previously earned modest amounts as a hairdresser but at one point was earning up to £8,000 a month.
Luke Chrysanthou, 25, who also appeared in the dock with the pair, worked at the pub on at least 97 occasions. Andrew Bravender, 37, was another employee who was responsible for recruiting new members and sometimes worked behind the bar.
During their investigation, police seized approximately 2.6kg of cannabis, worth just over £29,000. Adam Lodge, defending Gardner, said the defendant acknowledged he was involved at a 'management level'.
He said Gardner got involved after being approached about being a cannabis 'influencer', and was seen as a 'good person' to 'get people through the door'. Mr Lodge said Gardner is now a 'completely different person', having become a father and gained qualifications in IT with the hope of working in that field.
For Zoe Chrysanthou, David Bentley said she was pregnant with Gardner's child at the time of the offences. He claimed she was 'vulnerable' due to her circumstances and was acting under the direction of her former partner.
He said Chrysanthou denied any involvement in the day-to-day running of the cafe and was not in the WhatsApp group. Chrysanthou has debts and physical and mental health problems, Mr Bentley said. He said it would be "devastating" for their child if she and her ex-partner were sent to prison.
Defending Bravender, Andy Scott said the defendant's "deep-seated" cannabis addiction was his "demon" as he had been using the drug since he was 14. For Luke Chrysanthou, Alaric Walmsley said his client had a "worker" role and was acting under the direction of others. He said Chrysanthou had not committed any further offences since then and had found employment and was contributing to society.
Bravender was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, while Luke Chrysanthou was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 15 days of rehabilitation activities and 150 hours of unpaid work.
Gardner, of Outwood Road, Heald Green; Bravender, of Deepdale Avenue, Swinton; Luke Chrysanthou, of Park Green, Macclesfield; Zoe Chrysanthou, of Caldy Road, Handforth, all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cannabis between June 2018 and April 2019.
Bravender also admitted possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply after officers spotted him dealing in Piccadilly Gardens in March 2020. Zoe Chrysanthou also admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis after she was caught sending small amounts of the drug through the post in December 2022.
