HIPSTER BARISTA
Lucy Alterman heads east in search of the best coffee in town
Climpson, Square Mile, Allpress, Union – these are the names I search for whenever I enter a coffee shop. I’ve become a self-confessed coffee snob and I blame it on the Hackney hipsters.
I’ve always been a coffee lover and fancied myself a bit of a connoisseur from bean to brew. A good day starts with a positive attitude and a great cup of coffee. However, over the past year I’ve been visiting Hackney regularly (yes, shock horror – venturing out of my North London bubble) and in so doing have discovered incredible coffee delights and gained a thorough appreciation and indeed an education about the exalted coffee bean.
Over the past decade a sea change in coffee standards in London has occurred and it all started in East London where it still has the most specialist independent coffee shops. The antipodeans introduced artisanal coffee culture, roasting their own beans and opening cafes in the industrial style with exposed brickwork and reclaimed furniture. They brought passion, care and a scientific approach raising coffee making to an art form.
I love the quirky, obsessive baristas, who now rival the status of sommeliers or chefs. With this we have all rediscovered an appreciation for handcrafted high quality for all things from fashion to food. Long gone are the days when a Costa, Starbucks or Pret will do for me. My favourite has to be Climpson & Sons in Broadway market which doubles as a pop up restaurant for local talents in the evening. You can find me there among the creatives with their MacBook Pros designing their next passion project, enjoying the perfect balance between strong espresso and creamy foam. It’s not just coffee – it’s an experience.
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