House Blend, Small Batch Coffee Company, Brighton

The House Blend from Small Batch Coffee Company is a seasonal affair so the exact make up changes to reflect that. As this write up is long overdue the beans you can buy today will be different but promising a similar cup. Recently renamed the Goldstone Espresso, what can you expect from one of Brighton's premier independent roasteries? 

Sticking my nose in the bag and taking a big sniff out lifted a fruity acidity and a sweet licorice scent. The beans where a darkish brown with an almost golden green tinge caused by the oily iridescent surface. The blend had beans of all similar sizes and ground down nice and evenly. 

On brewing, a smooth light brown crema formed and a chocolate aroma clearly emerged. The taste was quite bitter at first, with a good bite to it, which then mellowed with coco infused sweetness. As the flavour developed there were iron like qualities to the subtle notes of stone fruit acidity. 

The blend was well balanced and low in acidity overall. It didn't make an overly heavy, broad espresso but one that was medium bodied with good sweetness and some playful notes. The finish was smooth and clean with some distant memories of lightly sharp, sweet fruits. 

Specification
Certification: None
Region: Varied, see beans
Altitude: Varied
Roast: Medium to dark
Process: Washed
Beans: 3 bean blend -Brazil Capim Branco, India Bibi Plantation and Tanzania Ruvuma.

A superb blend that keeps things simple with the one-two of chocolate sweetness and sharper fruit notes. This coffee has plenty of flavour without being overpowering. 

How do we taste it? Go here.

Supplier: 

Small Batch Coffee Company

http://smallbatchcoffee.co.uk/

@smallbatchcc

Facebook

01273 220246

info@smallbatchcoffee.co.uk

The Broca, Brockley, South East London, UK

The Broca is one of two coffee shops just outside of Brockley station in charming South East London. Set up by Erin and Rob, The Broca has an admirable mission to be an ethically aware community focused cafe. They provide this by sourcing ethical products and using second hand and found furniture and equipment. As well as coffee the cafe has a range of things to eat but we did not sample any on this visit.

The coffee shop is divided into two halves and has two doors, with the ordering and business end in one, seating in the other. With one side of the venue all windows, sun light streams in and fills the space well. The decor of truly mismatched and used furniture works well together but the graffiti and notice wall off set that homeliness to a more ascetic student vibration. However to counter my aesthetic critique the notice wall leads us directly back to the owners desire to create a venue focused on the community. 

The coffee came in a tea mug and was shrouded with a light brown crema. On tasting it was unfortunately a huge disappointment, it was strong but overly bitter and muddy to the taste. It was a little watery and a little burnt, so much so it was hard to pull out any of the actual flavour specifics. It wasn't out and out terrible but one expects more from a modern day coffee shop. The old mugs it was served in continued the theme of the place and the hot chocolate also being served went down well (see below).

• Black Americano, drink in
• £1.80
• Strong
• Medium size
• Muddied and a little burnt
• Light crema
• Machine: La Marazocco

To be blunt not a great coffee but the cafe has some charm and an excellent location by the station.

Map
http://www.brocafoods.com/

Giddy Up Floripa, Hackney, East London

After a fair old break I found myself back East and had the pleasure to visit a stall I wanted to cover months ago. The Giddy up Hackney stall AKA Giddy Up Floripa (they have 3 other locations, Fortune Park, Islington and Islington Memorial Green and Guild Yard, City of London.) is a stones throw from Old Street round about. 

It sits at the corner of Great Eastern Street and Rivington street under the canopy of the Brazilian bar and restaurant Floripa. Look out for the Giddy Up rocking horse to help you find your way.

It is a stall but does benefits from the external seating of Floripa. It also has a notable coffee machine; a Kees Van de Western, Mirage Veloce, 3-group lever operated machine. To be honest I don't know much about machines but I read it was the only one of its type around (happy to be corrected). It is also incredibly sexy looking as you can see above.

I was joined (in reality she sat near me) by the actress Vicky McCLure (Lol from This Is England) but through sheer gutlessness I didn't tell her how awesome she was in that role. The barista was friendly, quick and informative which is always a boon at any cafe and made me feel very welcome on this sunny but windy afternoon.

Shortly after ordering the coffee arrived with a thick crema made of fine bubbles and a few different layers of colour. It was quite windy as I said so it was hard to get an aroma fix but on tasting it immediately and generously gave up a rich, golden flavour. It was deep and earthy in tone, quite broad and had slight acidity. 

It was however a little muted overall, the true spark of flavour was struggling to get out after the initial warming broadside was delivered. The barista did inform me that he was having some issues dialling it in and balancing brightness and bitterness so I assume this is what he meant.

Further down the cup some strong cherry notes emerged with a little more clarity. It was generally sweet on the after notes and although a little too bitter it was still clean and not at all muddy. 

• Black Americano, drink in
• £2.00
• Strong
• Small (short)
• Rich full flavour with earthy tones and cherry notes
• Thick crema
• Beans: Square Mile Red Brick seasonal espresso blend
• Machine:  Kees Van de Western, Mirage Veloce

A very good coffee, professionally made and with very much going right for it but on this occasion it struggled to shine to its fullest potential. Despite this Giddy up is still hitting high and well worth a visit, enjoy.

Map Giddy Up Coffee can be found outside Floripa at 91-93 Great Eastern St, EC2A 3HZ

@Giddyupfloripa
@GiddyUpCoffee
Facebook 
Blog 

Redroaster espresso house blend, Red Roaster, Brighton

Redroaster is a legendary coffee house and roasterie in Brighton, that has been producing gourmet coffee for well over a decade. Why are they called the Redroaster? Because they had a big old Red Roaster to start out with and continue the tradition with their latest machines.

I may have some niggles with their Americano (review here) but I do have a fondness for their beans and would often purchase a few grams on my cycle to work. The fine people at Redroaster kindly sent me a small sample of their espresso to try out and here is that review. Their espresso changes seasonally, the beans are individually roasted and then blended to make a consistent smooth tasting brew.

The beans arrive in a sealed foil envelope with roast date and over information clearly covered on the label. On opening I was greeted with a lovely rich honeyed aroma, there was a clear sweetness to the beans scent with just a slight pinch of acidity.

The medium roasted beans were smallish and a dulled bronze, Their finish gave them the impression of weathered, dried out armour, shielding the roasted goodness within. They ground down well and released more of the pleasant honeyed notes as I got to work with the Kyocera.

As I applied the water the coffee bloomed nicely and a little stir produced a good level of light brown crema and a good nose full of sweet caffeine heaven.

To the lips with it and what do we find? A great full rounded flavour that cloaks the mouth like a velvet muffler. It then reveals itself with light, tart cherry notes that can be clearly picked out and are felt right down to the back of the palette. 

The honeyed sweetness remained strong along with some hints of spice and a gentle backing of dry tannin tones. The after taste was creamy, smooth and with a light zestyness. 

Specification

Certification: None

Roast: Medium - dark

Roaster: IR-24 (ie 24kg) Diedrich (a red one!)

Price: 125g £2.50

Brazil Fazenda Samambaia (majority of blend)

Variety: Mundo Nova

Region: Sul de Minas region

Farm: Henrique Dias Cambraia

Process: Pulped natural and patio dried

Altitude: 1,200m (unconfirmed)

Guatemala Finca San Francisco Tecuamburro 

Variety: Bourbon/ Cactuai

Region: Chiquimulilla/Guazacapan (Fraijanes) region

Farm: San Francisco Tecuamburro owned by Sergio Barillas Escamilla

Process: Fully washed and sun dried

Altitude: 1460-1770m

El Salvador El Borbollón

Variety: 100% Red Bourbon

Region:  Santa Ana region

Farm: La Reforma and El Cerro by the Alvarez family

Process: Washed and sun dried

Altitude: 1,300-1,500m (unconfirmed)

A well balanced espresso blend of a rich sweetness with little sharp stone fruit highlights. A good drink for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  

How do we taste it? Go here.

Supplier: Redroaster

http://www.redroaster.co.uk/

Facebook

mail@redroaster.co.uk

+44 01273686668

Fee & Brown, Beckenham, South London, UK

Moving back to Beckenham I was hugely disappointed to find not one decent real coffee house. A bounty of cafes and a few of the big chains but no one here was making the effort. To be fair most of these establishments offer a nice environment and good food but where things crash is the coffee. 


A few weeks back I spied a review on The Faerietale Foodie blog that things had changed and finally someone had opened a place serving proper coffee here in the high street where Ziggie Stardust was conceived (true) and Bob Monkhouse started his little book (this last bit is conjecturer).

I popped in on a Sunday afternoon to see if it really was the answer to my prayers. Situated opposite St.Georges church at the nicer end of Beckenham it is in easy reach of Beckenham Junction station and Beckenham green for commuters and sun worshipers respectively.


A single modern bench sits outside the modest exterior and inside we are greeted with a large open counter groaning with good but naughty things. The walls are white, the ceiling high and the light fittings many and modern. Wood benches and matching light pine tables fill the front of the cafe and a rear area is taken up by a single long seated area, good for a  large group. It is clean and modern and airy, I like my cafes a bit more ramshackle and earthy than this but it is nice. 

Out the back is ample space for a future large additional outside space, my only bone of contention with the décor was the menus on silver gilded mirrors but each to their own. After taking our order we were kindly offered a seat and I cast around what else Fee & Brown had to consume. 


Artisan sandwiches which looked the part, freshly made fruit and veg juices and the aforementioned cakes and pastries. They also had free and tasty lemon water on hand to refresh the pallet, the perfect coffee accompaniment (bar pastries).

The young staff were constantly buzzing around to attend to people's needs, they were fast, polite, attractive and lent the place a positive vibrant energy but were perhaps a little too keen to tidy up which verged on rushing. By the till they keep a manifesto of sorts bemoaning bad coffee, so the question was whether they would keep to their principles. 

We were soon joined by the coffee in neat sky blue cups, old teaspoons and the milk in a cute mini bottle. The babychino came with a large chocolate button and got the cheeky grin of approval. The americano looked good, thick dark cream shrouded a short drink. There was not much aroma to pull out from this shot but what was there smelt right. 


The initial burst of flavour and strength gave me a bit of a shove out the aeroplane of taste but I was soon free falling in joyful imbibment. It was strong and the flavour full, bitter but utterly clean and crisp. As I acclimatised a gentle sour cherry acidity emerged that lifted and lightened the mood. Overall it was full and rounded in flavour with the lighter notes offsetting the deeper bitter tones. The finish was clean and creamy lending me a pleasant after taste all the way home. 

Black Americano, drink in
£2.20
Small size
Strong 
Full rounded flavour with cherry notes
Thick brown crema
Machine: La Marzocco
Beans: Caravan Coffee


Really good coffee, strong and flavoursome, made and served well. Beckenham has a cafe saviour and it is Fee & Brown.


Map
@FeeandBrown

Bambino (Volcano), Crystal Palace, South East London, UK

Situated on the Crystal Palace triangle Bambino is one of and possibly the best long serving curiosity and vintage stores in the area. Many moons ago I bought a massive mortar from here and another time a side board, both still in my possession. Relatively recently they gained a miniature café and brew bar manned by Volcano Coffee Works.

The great thing about these combo store & cafes is you get an ever changing and interesting view inside as well as some cool furniture to pitch up on.  Whether you like coffee or not this is a great store to visit and it felt a little like Brighton too boot.

Volcano Coffee Works have their roastery in South East London so this was truly a local brew. As well as the expresso based drinks they were also offering AeroPress and V60 drip throughs.

The pricing structure is the most simple I’ve seen and I liked it. Everything £2.00. Life should be easy.

The Long Black had  a good thick layer of Crema and my compadre Jeff opted for a flat white. The barista pointed out that they weren’t serving a blend but their Honduras Especiale SHG and what a good coffee bean it was. 

It was strong espresso, and I could choose how short I would have it with my own water on the side. The initial taste showed of a well rounded full flavour and a medium body. Starting bright and fresh this coffee soon gave way to sweetness and a warming Hazelnut flavour. 

There was a slight lack of clarity on the finish and after taste but not enough to disrupt an overall positive experience.

Long Black, drink in.

£2.00

Strong

Small Size

Nutty & sweet flavour

Thick & dark crema

Beans: Volcano, Honduras Especiale SHG

Have a browse, have a great coffee; a fun place to go drink joe.

Map

Volcano Coffee Works

http://www.volcanocoffeeworks.com/

@Volcano_Coffee

Facebook

External shots: Jeff Metal

Special offer: Get a double for the price of a single at Cafe Coho

To celebrate the Develop Conference coming to Brighton, Cafe Coho and Damn Fine Joe have teamed up to give all the guests coming to the city and anyone else for that matter a special promotional offer.

Starting on Monday the 9th July you will be able to get any double shot from the price of a single. Anyone can take advantage of this offer, all you have to do is say the phrase that pays:

"I would like some Damn fine Joe"

or if you will be attending Develop then you can just show your delegate pass.

Develop is the UK industry event for video game developers and alongside a wide ranging conference hosts the Develop Awards. This event is for the developers of games to meet, network and get inspired. 


For visitors to the city, Cafe Coho is one of Brightons finest and award winning coffee shops. A perfect place to slip away from the hubbub of the Hilton and have a quiet meeting.

Map to find Cafe Coho.

Offer runs:
Monday 9th July 2012 - End of July 2012


Here is the Damn Fine Joe Review


Cafecoho
http://www.cafecoho.co.uk/
@cafecoho


Develop
http://www.developconference.com/
@developconf