65 High street, Tring, Hertfordshire , HP23 4AB https://theespressolounge.co.uk/ 65 High street, Tring, Hertfordshire , HP23 4AB Quaint is a term so often associated with cosiness and imagery of little England; mismatched teacups, Tudor beams, and an overwhelming sense of unhurried movement in time that holds an aura that everything will work out fine. I don’t know if you can truly have anything that’s quaint in this modern day and age but I’d wager the market town of Tring is near-enough-damn-it. Situated in a gap in the Chiltern Hills, amongst an area of outstanding beauty, Tring is dominated by 19th century architecture giving it a sense of being frozen in time, if it weren’t for the 4x4s and high end cars that trundle down the tiny high street. It’s here amongst the higgledy-piggledy backdrop of rolling hills and wonky rooftops that The Espresso Lounge sits. It is then, perhaps, striking at how modern and sleek everything seems on the inside with a glass countertop serving up a signature espresso blend, homemade cakes and a seasonal produce menu largely derived from goods of local suppliers. It’s not quite lunchtime yet so I settle for a slice vegan blueberry Bakewell tart and an oat latte that complement each other with exquisite elegance as the coffee offers up a fruity punch that morphs into chocolatey tones on the tongue before settling into a nutty finish. Pair this with sweet blueberry baked goodness and the match sets you up for a day of wandering and wandering, whether it be in the nearby Natural History Museum or over the fields, woodland and canal that encircle the area.
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TLO, St Peter's Street, St Albans AL1 3LF https://www.tlocoffee.com/ St Albans seems to be slowly building itself up as a premier coffee hub just outside of London, and as another café launches itself onto the scene, competition will soon be very fierce indeed. Opening around three weeks ago, TLO Coffee were originally based in Primrose Hill, London and seem to be creeping out into the suburbs with their St Peter’s Street shop. Opposite the Church of St Peter, you can sit at the window bar and watch the comings and goings of the church yard as you stir your coffee, making it a prime place to pick up and a pastry and while away a few moments, away from the hustle and bustle of the hight street. Gorgeous British Racing Green colouring entices you in with its sense of sophistication and elegance with a shiny new counter of goodies to peer at. My friend has found the new location via Instagram and directs me slightly up the hill to this quiet place of caffeination. Asking after vegan options for me (probably knowing all too well I’m unlikely to do so myself) there seems to be some confusion on whether the dairy-free items could also be classed as vegan, and since baked goods typically contain egg, I choose not to partake this time. They also lack any syrups at this time, which isn’t a deal breaker but does force me into a regular oat latte as opposed to the sweet, vanilla treat I’m craving right now. No matter as we take up corner space with the church view and sip gently at toffee-esque coffees that carry a striking sweetness through the milk alternative making the a bright drink for a drizzly afternoon. Gently basking under the neon sign, it is a place of serenity to chat and so the time inside seems all too fleeting but with hope, there will be more opportunities to visit and see how its offering develops. Unit 16a, Dicker Mill, Hertford SG13 7AA The likelihood of finding me in a gym is slim to none, so when my friends over at coffeefiltered.com asked me if I could drop off some leaflets at a local CrossFit gym I was sceptical of what I’d find there. Slightly out of town, on a trading estate by the river, there’s no exterior sign that hints there may be speciality coffee hidden away here (although, something is apparently in the works for that) but I plough on armed with the knowledge of a secretive hideaway that should give me all the energy I need without having to lift a finger. Step in via the front door and you’re greeted by a room of equipment and exercise enthusiasts but, you can creep around the edge of the training mat, so as not to bother them, and ascend the stairs set to one side to discover a landing area that overlooks all of this strenuous activity. Here you’ll find a green bar beset with protein powders and creatine but the chrome machine and piled high paper cups hint at its true purpose- an espresso bar. Despite all the hustle and bustle below the bar has a sort of elegant feel to it in the chic style it puts forth. Dark, calming tones make it ideal as a place to escape to if you need a quiet coffee that’s out of the way. Serving coffee from Ninth Roasters in Saffron Walden, Essex, you get a strong, smoky coffee that has hints of hazelnut to it and I opt for a rich and creamy oat latte that complements the beans well. The whole experience hasn’t quite convinced me to sign up for a gym membership just yet but I may well visit again when I’m down by the river. https://www.hertfordcakeco.com 91 Fore Street, Hertford SG14 1AS Previously a small unit on the fringes of town, the ever popular Hertford Cake Co. seems to have moved up in the world with a larger space that brings with it a seating area perfect for coffee and cake moments which, lets be honest, are often all too few in life. I once stepped into their previous premises to order an oat latte, and spy if they had any vegan goodies but was out of luck on that front being told I should keep an eye on their Instagram for brownies and the sort, that I might be able to pop down and consume. Now, catching up with a friend, I step into their new spot and chance my arm with the confectionary, again without any internet insight. I’m not so lucky this time either but my friend has an array of delectable looking cakes and bakes to choose from as I settle down to an oat latte with beans from award winning speciality coffee roasters Camper Van Coffee - a Hitchin based outfit that supplies across the county. Rich toffee notes and a caramel-esque mouthfeel, it certainly feels appropriate for a cake shop to be serving sweet and smooth coffee that feels like a delightful sweet treat itself, and so I’m less bothered by the lack of edible options for me. It serves as something different in a town that’s slowly building a reserve of coffee shops and yet can still compete with the best of them in the caffeine department. One day my cake will come and then I’ll truly be able to savour all that they have to offer. https://thedelionverulam.com 5a Verulam Road St. Albans AL3 4DA There’s something to be said for businesses that state exactly what they do in the name. The Deli on Verulam doesn’t mess around with its branding and you know exactly what you’re going to get from the experience when you walk. Filled to the brim with cheeses and cuts of meats, it’s the coffee I’ve come for (visiting with the delightful coffee filtered gang) as I sidle into the crisp white interior that’s obviously meticulously kept and spotlessly clean. With the intention of providing high quality, locally sourced, and sustainable food and drink, I’d be intrigued to learn more about where they source their coffee given that it’s pretty hard to grow around the Chiltern Hills and imminent regions but there certainly is an abundance of local roasters and suppliers that may still fit the bill. Not a place I’d naturally frequent, it caters to a clientele well above my income but I’m still greeted by a friendly smile when I sit down at the countertop to peer out at the adjoining garden and sip from hot, delightfully earthy, coffee that feels luxurious with every sip. Smooth and inviting, it matches the surroundings offering a moment of serenity just off the busy high street. St Albans itself is certainly not short of places to grab a coffee but good coffee may be slightly harder to come by. Still, this seems to fit the bill and offers nice, if limited, seating to do so. Cast your eye about for something to take home with you and it won’t be hard to come across something to your tastes but its the pleasant ambiance of life away from the hustle bustle that is the draw, and on a grey day with little else to do, I’d say there are few things better than to pull up a pew and sip away. 1 Holywell Hill
St Albans AL1 1ER https://www.books-on-the-hill.co.uk With the first books created around 500 BCE and coffee not being discovered until 800 AD, there is a large portion of human history where, I imagine, people were reading something really good and just going “Damn, this is missing something.” However, when goat herders in Ethiopia did finally stumble upon the caffeinated properties of wild growing coffee plants, I can only theorise that they were like “This stuff’s good, get me snug as hell with a book and some of whatever this is!” Since then, the relationship between coffee and books has been intrinsically linked. Get me some a good book and a cosy blanket with some darn fine coffee on a miserable winter’s eve and I am good to go for the rest of the night. Bookshops have undoubtedly picked up on this and many now have their own, in house cafe areas where you can read your latest purchase, beverage in hand, and just enjoy the general atmosphere of being surrounded by books. Many of the big retailers now have their own cafe’s attached to said stores; Waterstones and Foyle’s both having their own. In fact, my very own coffee industry training stems from starting out in a children’s bookshop that’s business model was get the kids in to read and sell the exhausted adults legal stimulants. Physical books having a healing property, maybe not physically but certainly spiritually and I will die on this hill, probably surrounded by bookshelves that I’ve employed to ward off evil spirits. The point I’m getting at with all of this, is that, a bookshop with an attached cafe is wonderful thing and an indie bookshop that serves decent coffee just expands on that tenfold. Books On The Hill is a family run bookshop in St Albans that caters to all ages and is a wonderful source to find more eclectic reading material than many of the high street chains will hold. Failing that, if they don’t have it, they can easily get it in for you. But this is not a book blog and so, we are drawn upstairs to their Reading Rooms Café. A long, corridor-esque setup with mismatched chairs and walls of leather-bound books, and cubby holes for propping yourself up in to take time with your latest literary investment, right at the back, sits a small kitchen with what is, effectively, a home espresso machine. Quaint in surroundings and in operation, the coffee is from Steampunk Roasters, a small-batch roasters from coastal Scotland that lends further weight to my theory that Scotland is roasting the best coffee in the UK right now. The oat latte I order is fudgey and dark, but also sweet and smooth. It’s an entrancing spot and I sort of hunker down in the crooked and characterful, wood-panelled surroundings, slightly aware that the conversation I’m holding can be heard by everyone around me in this tiny setting, where some have come to read. But it’s nice, it feels like it adds weight to my words, and what I am saying is of importance, even if it’s not. You can get vegan brownies here (which I don’t try this time around) and just sort of nibble at the edges of time whilst perusing a novel, just sort of feeling worldly and yet comfortable all in one. I wish I was as sophisticated and as interesting as the venue but alas, the best I can do is arrange to have coffee here. 7-8 CHRISTOPHER PLACE, ST ALBANS, AL3 5DQ https://www.hatchstalbans.com/ Hatch is, evidently, one of those forever popular brunch spots that’s almost impossible to get a table at. I know this because I’ve never actually had the pleasure of sitting down inside, alway being directed to stand just outside the door to wait for a takeaway coffee order because it’s too narrow to be having lingerers and that’s all I ever am as I pop in on the rare occasion I wander up or down the hill into or out of town (although, soon to relocate to the Christopher Place shopping centre just up the road). Be it summer or winter, I drop by for an oat latte or its iced equivalent and have to wait on the street as some kindly barista whips it up for me whilst those with power of forethought enjoy their weekend meals. I say this not as a complaint but just as a statement of fact and a testament to its popularity. As such, I can only really talk about its takeaway coffee which I’ve sampled a few times with its smooth, earthy appeal and dry but not harsh undertones, it is quite possibly one of the best coffees in St. Albans. A seller of Campbell and Syme’s, it works well with creamier drinks like the latte, but on a hot afternoon, an iced oat latte seems to be at the peak of its powers by juxtaposing the drier notes with a rich and creamy oat milk. Well worth just dropping in, perhaps one day I’ll plan far enough ahead to be able to give it a full review. Panshanger Park, Thieves Ln, Hertford SG14 2WN
https://www.plantedcoffeeco.co.uk Panshanger Park is a historic park and garden registered Grade II by English Heritage. Owned by the Tarmac group, who are excavating the land around it for gravel and other such resources, it’s a sort of trade-off where they dig up the countryside so protect parts around it and turn it over to nature. It is, a magnificent place Spanning from Hertford, through Cole Green and out the other side to Panshanghar in Welwyn Garden City, the park is a lengthy expanse of greenery great for a stroll in nature, a bit of bird spotting or just a lunchtime walk out of the office (working near the Panshangar end, this is how I usually spend my lunch hour).. Approach from the Hertford end and you enter via a gravel lot that acts as a car park but, be warned, if you drove up you’ll suffer the indignity of having to pay for the pleasure of parking. Here, on the edge of the lot, just before you choose a route to delve off into the country grounds, sits Planted; a converted horse box that serves only plant based snacks and beverages - in effect a vegan coffee shop for you to start or end your walk at. As a vegan myself, it’s such a relief to just go to places where you don’t have to worry about what’s on the menu and can just order an oat milk latte as the standard and hope they didn’t mishear you. But places like this have a special place in my heart because it means you can get out and about and pick up a little treat even when you weren’t expecting to. All too often have I been to places where people have pointed out a place to get a drink or cake and I’ve just had to forgo the experience altogether because I’m not catered for. Sure, it probably wasn’t the purpose of my visit but it would be nice to be included in the moment. Planted seems I like a place you would naturally seek out for coffee. Unlikely to just rock up at a car park for caffeine and then leave, it’s charm is it’s location so you’ll likely be here for a walk. However, that doesn’t mean it rests on its laurels when it comes to its offerings, with smooth, treacly coffee and an array of pastries to really make my plant based heart flutter. How often is desired a Danish since my conversion to vegan living and been denied the flaky goodness and custardy centre is perhaps just one too many times and now I know, if I want one (followed by a short walk to burn off the calories again) at least I have a good option nearby. 3 Datchworth Green, Datchworth, Hertfordshire, SG3 6TL Datchworth Coffee is a front. Not for criminal enterprise (although, I don’t know what happens in these small, country villages) but for a high-end catering business that uses this secluded spot as a sort of showroom for their wares. Here, they provide the perfect place to show-off cakes and coffees, an exquisite breakfast menu and light lunches from the idyllic location of a tiny Hertfordshire village. Datchworth itself is the sort of place that has four pubs, but only one with a car park, a corner shop and not much else. It’s minuscule size, and location between several bigger towns, meant the I expected little from its local coffee shop, questioning if it even sold speciality coffee. A glorious old house that leans slightly and has an old, red telephone box out front, now repurposed as a village library, the physical shop is stunning. However, I had visions of it being a sort of nice little nook that had a posh espresso machine and then used whatever beans they could get their hands on but this is a proper coffee spot, some serious work has gone into it. First of all, a prime location for cyclists and day trippers, it makes the most of its country location and its wooden beamed charm. Dog and welly friendly, it throws open its arms to walkers, and has a space out the back of its premises for when the sun doth shine. The La Marzocco on the countertop provides some assurance, as it’s rare you invest in one of these without any intent to use it properly. It has been known, but not often. Inside is almost the polar opposite to the external features with the rustic charm giving way to warm and modern countertops and low hanging lighting that provides that welcoming yellow glow that led lights seem to have lost. Exposed brickwork and wooden beams jostle for position against the wood panelled serving area and sleek breakfast bar that holds a modern feel to it all. I arrive late Sunday, so it’s near closing time and I don’t hold out much hope for decent scran. There are some delectable looking cakes on the counter but nothing immediately jumps out as plant-based and I think better of causing a stir so close to the end of the day. I sceptically enquired as to whether an oat latte can be down as I’ve been burnt too many times by remote cafés that haven’t quite caught up with veganism. Not an issue at all, I’m informed, as I slide into the bay window that peers out onto the street, and I am shocked to be served up a creamy and smooth latte that has rich, caramel undertones with a balanced and sweet mouthfeel that provides a splendidly traditional but unobtrusive taste. It was one of the better coffees I’ve had for quite some time! It turns out the London roasters Campbell and Some have got as far as the Hertfordshire countryside and are nibbling away at the market in small pockets such as this one. I've sampled their coffee in commuter towns such as St. Albans but to find them setting up shop in the outer reaches of the region is a pleasant surprise. Perhaps I should be more open minded on my search for great caffeine dealers because this feels like one heck of a find. A stunning countryside location and coffee to match feels almost too good to be true and I look forward to dropping by again soon, perhaps next time with food in mind. https://fourriverscoffee.co.uk/ 19 Birch Green, Birch Green, Hertford SG14 2LR The shameful trudge to acquire my vice of choice. Usually I’m away over the fields staring at the Red Kites that circle overhead or counting butterflies in the woodland beyond the dual carriageway by now. Today, however, I lope up the single straight road towards the next village along from where my office is situated because today is my first opportunity to try the new independent coffee shop that has opened there. The smell of hot tarmac coming from the freshly laid road surface evokes images of my soft rubber soles melting into the pavement as I stare upward blissfully unaware, it’s the kind of warm day where a hot drink is not really called for but I can’t help myself, imbued with the knowledge that this establishment is now open. Four Rivers coffee is roasted in Hertford Heath, its name a nod to the four rivers that converge on the flood plain of a town that is Hertford itself. I only became aware of them by noticing their van being parked up in the local Sainsbury’s car park and, making a note of their website, ordered a bag of their Rwandan beans to my door. Now, opening up a sort of project space, their flagship coffee shop sits in the village of Birch Green and has grand plans to become a community centre-come-meeting place for the locals with eggs, milk and other basic essentials (and not so basic luxuries) sourced from the surrounding areas to show-off the best of what East Herts has to offer. The local scene in and around Hertford seems to be taking off with local indie shops and roasters popping up with a fair regularity recently. The Herts Coffee Lab is slowly building into a chain of reasonable proportions with locations in Hitchin, Hertford, Ware and Welwyn Garden City, whilst Sustain Coffee’s flagship store, roastery and community centre in Hatfield serves up rare coffees and provides high-end training for others in the region. Four River’s addition to this mix only serves to strengthen this enclave of caffeine that is slowly building in this corner of the Home Counties and staking a claim as a region of coffee excellence. In what was the village shop, Four Rivers has set up, initially only opening on Fridays and the weekends, and so my foray has to be timed with my lunchtime stroll from work at the end of the week. Upon approach, I can already see clusters of people sitting outside, only too happy to settle into the cafe lifestyle this new opportunity presents them. It’s only been officially open for a week and people lounge about with the certainty of regulars who have been coming here for half a lifetime, dogs in tow and massed little groups who have decided this is the perfect meeting spot. That’s just from the few tables outside, with inside offering a few more tables and a bar to congregate at. It remains a little sparse at the moment but the blue tiling and fresh coat of paint gives it a clean and optimistic outlook with a couple of the aforementioned local products on display. There’s only a small selection of coffees available at the moment but the standards are there and I opt for my regular beverage of choice, the oat latte - with a couple of oat milk options to choose from too. They’re serving up their Costa Rican single origin which claims notes of blood orange, chocolate and pomegranate molasses, and it certainly captures a syrupy sweetness that pierces through the oat milk with a dense intensity and coating mouthfeel that gives it the essence of a sort of dessert drink, something you’d gladly quaff down at the end of the night. I have a conversation with the barista serving me, who recognises me from previous orders, social media interactions, and this very blog. It’s nice to be recognised for such things and I guess the whole idea of building a community feel centres around little interactions like this, where you can feel like part of something in the small moments of just buying a coffee. I hope it thrives and continues to build on what it really has because it’s a glorious little space serving up some wonderful coffee, and it’s placement makes it a great stop-off for the swarm of cyclists that traverse from North London to Herts every weekend, or those just drifting on by. I try to take a photo for this review and spill some coffee down myself in my awkward fumble to orientate my phone. Sighing, I stumble off back in the direction of the office swirling the sweet drink around my tongue a little to really pull out the dark-sugary tones. Dangerous indeed to have something this good so close-by to the office. |
AuthorThe Mean Bean Machine (Vincent Wood) Archives
February 2024
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