Bean & Gone, Hertford

Great Northern Works, Hartham Ln, Hertford SG14 1QN

I’m not in the habit of reviewing coffee vans or trailers. Not because they’re not capable of doing a decent coffee but their transient nature and lack of plumbing so often means that they just don’t bother. They’re selling point is convenience not quality. However, several times I’ve been told to try out Bean and Gone in my local town, a trailer that sits outside the bike shop I visit when I need my cycle looked over or adjusted in some way, but it’s not somewhere I visit regularly. After I got past my initial reservations of visiting it, every time I’ve dropped in for some biking bits, the trailer has shut up shop so it’s taken me until now to finally get around to trying it. Fortunately (in some ways at least), I find myself needing a new head light to stop the aggressive drivers of the area running me off the road on my evening commute home, what with the present option not being strong enough to warrant twisting your neck to see what’s coming before blindly taking a turn at a junction. I needed something that is retina burningly bright and used the opportunity to stop off for some coffee.

Investing in Roastworks coffee, a speciality coffee roaster from Devon, is the first sign that this small shop on wheels is not just your average coffee trailer as it’s taken the time to invest in a half-decent coffee to serve to those who pass by. In fact, I suspect it doesn’t just serve ‘passers-by’ or the caffeine starved cyclist but rather has regulars of its own. For one thing, this seemingly portable horse box of an establishment stays put, even having seating outside it to encourage less of a takeaway nature to its coffee and cake than the initial premises would provide. I suspect, part of its being located in a trailer has something to do with the business rates in Hertford but this is pure speculation on my part.

Either way, starting to get damp from the light drizzle, I approach the window to see a selection of vegan and gluten free cakes also available from this space and I’m further convinced that it may actually be the real deal. I’m severely tempted to give one of these baked goods a try but it’s taken me this long to work up to the coffee from here so I continue with my baby steps and ask for my standard oat latte. After some initial to-ing and fro-ing with the card machine (the joys of modern technology), I am served up an exquisite cup of smooth coffee with a strong chocolate tone that has a slight nuttiness throughout. There is a touch of bitterness to it at the end that simmers on the tongue after every sip that just cuts into the silky smooth mouthfeel and provides a jaggedness that juxtaposes nicely with the creamy oat milk.

Happily walking back through town, bike light acquired and latte in hand, I have to admit that my prejudices about coffee from a horse box have been turned around. Maybe I’ll have to find more reasons to head down to the cycle shop in the future.