Slow mornings, measured in grams and minutes.
We roast three days a week in the back room, pull espresso on a lever machine and bake whatever the morning asks for. Sit a while — the window seats are the good ones.
The day, hour by hour
The cafe changes character four times before closing. Here is what to expect, so you can pick your hour.
7:00 – 9:30
Early
Bread and morning buns come out of the oven, batch filter is already poured, and the music stays off until nine. Counter seating only.
9:30 – 14:00
Midday
Full kitchen, table service at the back, and the hand-pour station opens. Laptops are welcome on the long bench, not at the window pairs.
14:00 – 17:30
Late
The cupping table is open to anyone curious. Retail bags are weighed and ground to your brewer, and the last tray of cookies lands at two.
Mondays
Closed
Roast day. The drum runs, the grinders get stripped and the room rests. Orders placed over the weekend are bagged the same morning.
What is on the bar
Two coffees run at once: the house blend for milk drinks and a rotating single origin for black. Ask the barista which is pulling better today — they will tell you honestly.
Baked here, sold until it runs out
One baker, one oven, no second delivery. The list below is the usual shape of the day, though a tray can disappear before ten.
- Cardamom morning bunOut at 7:10, rolled the night before, sugared while warm.
- Seeded sourdough toastCultured butter and sea salt, or with honey from the hill farms.
- Soft eggs on briocheChive oil, cracked pepper, a wedge of lemon. Served until two.
- Chickpea and preserved lemon bowlFrom 11:30. Vegan as it comes; feta on the side if you want it.
- Tahini chocolate cookieBaked at two, best at ten past. Sold singly or by the half dozen.
Roasted in the back room, not in a warehouse
A ten kilo drum, a paper roast log and a baker who complains about the smell. Everything we pour and everything we sell comes off that machine on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
- Choosing a bagTell us your brewer and your milk habit. Espresso drinkers usually leave with the house blend; filter drinkers take whatever landed on Friday.
- GrindingWe grind at the counter to your method, from moka to cold steep. Whole bean keeps better, so take it whole if you have a grinder.
- Rest and freshnessBags carry the roast date, not a shelf life. Espresso wants a week in the bag; filter is ready in four days.
- Spent groundsSacks go out by the side door on Thursdays for anyone with a garden. Help yourself, no need to ask.
The long table
Twelve seats along one piece of elm, with the window bench alongside for larger groups. Send a note and we will answer by email with what we can hold and what the kitchen can send out.
Enquire about a date
Breakfast sittings, afternoon cuppings and whole-room evenings. No deposit is taken by email.
We read enquiries between services and reply within a working day.
Questions people ask at the counter
The honest answers, so you are not guessing before you walk in.
Do you take bookings for small groups?
Tables of one to five are walk-in only, all day. From six guests upward we hold the long table, which is what the enquiry form above is for.
Can I work from the cafe?
Yes, on the back bench, where there are sockets and a wide surface. We keep the window pairs free for people eating, and the whole room is laptop-free after four.
Which milks do you keep?
Whole and semi-skimmed, plus barista oat, soy and almond. There is no surcharge on any of them, and the oat textures best with the house blend.
Can the kitchen handle gluten-free or vegan orders?
The chickpea bowl and the sourdough toast with honey are vegan as served. The bakehouse works with wheat flour in an open kitchen, so we cannot promise a gluten-free environment — ask the baker and they will tell you exactly what is in the tray.
Do you sell beans and brewing gear?
Beans by the 250g bag, whole or ground to order, alongside filter papers, a house carafe and a small shelf of hand grinders. Everything on the shelf is something we use behind the bar.
Are dogs welcome?
Downstairs and at the outside tables, yes, with a water bowl by the door. The bakehouse side has to stay clear for food safety.
What time does the bakehouse usually sell out?
Morning buns rarely last past ten on a weekend. Toast and eggs run until two, and if you want a specific loaf we can put one behind the counter when you order your coffee.
Is the room step-free?
The front door is level and the main floor has no steps, with a 90cm aisle to the long table. The washroom is on the same level; the upstairs reading loft is reached by stairs only.