Small Batch Coffee

67C Church Rd, Hove BN3 2BD
Brighton is one of those distinctly trendy places that you know is cool now but can only associate with rainy days on cobblestone beaches from childhood, so when tasked with unearthing a bit more on the burgeoning coffee scene, I yet again have to turn to my trusty ‘Global Coffee Tour’ book from Lonely Planet.


I remember flicking through it in hope of finding somewhere to try out when the opportunity to head down to the area arose. Picking out Small Batch from its hallowed pages, I was delighted to find one of their stores was only a ten minute walk from where I had spent the night before and so strode out in search of this highly rated cafe.
To be fair, Small Batch have eight shops across Brighton and Hove, I wander past a second store when heading back to the train station after my morning coffee from the one on Wilbury Road.
A tiny box on the corner of a junction, this small spot still offers a full espresso menu from their range that is imbued with a strong farm-to-cup ethos that adds a taste of ethical consumerism to the tones of chocolate and caramel so often found in their blends. Outside in its little walled in yard, you can peer down the road to the sea, if positioned correctly, where the smell of salt compliments a breakfast pour-over or even just a refreshing lemonade.
There’s a homeliness to this location that is complimented by unassuming and friendly baristas who eschew the notion of being coffee snobs, more than happy to serve up any of their drinks without a judgemental eye (something all too often lacking in the speciality coffee world.