West Brighton & Hove

In terms of coffee, Portslade has grown dramatically over the last couple of years. It is probably no coincidence that has coincided with Small Batch moving their roastery from Goldstone Villas to Wellington House around the same time. Although a number of coffee houses have opened up, Small Batch is the only roaster in the area, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see others follow suit.

To say that Wellington House is spacious is a bit of an understatement, there is a full sized shipping container in the middle of the warehouse. Most of the real estate is taken up by equipment, but there is ample seating.

The first thing you’ll notice is the smell of coffee roasting, which is obviously a bonus to any coffee lovers, and watching the roasting operation in action while enjoying the same beans is something worth savouring.

On a sunny day, the outside seating is lovely, with a nice view of the river Adur. The smell of the coffee roasting mixing with the fresh air is a treat to all the locals and visitors alike.

Situated on the Brighton and Hove border, as you enter The Flour Pot at Seven Dials you’re greeted with a bright and clean layout, with a wall of pastries and bread on one wall, and seating spreading across the shop-front windows on the other.

On their espresso machine they offer The Flour Pot-roasted beans, which creates notes of nuts and plums and with outside seating, warm blankets and great coffee, this is a great spot to watch the buzz of businesses and the local schools go by.

This time last year we wrote about the lack of speciality coffee on offer in the Aldrington area of Hove and now, 12 months on, we couldn’t be more pleased to see the area is becoming one of the locations in Brighton and Hove to get your specialty fix.

The Flour Pot Bakery opened just over two weeks ago and has seen a continuous flow of customers ever since. In classic Flour Pot style, once you step inside the building, checkerboard tiles line the floor beneath your feet while fresh bread, pastries other baked goods take control of your sense of smell.

The layout offers plenty of seating and the white walls, blue counters, marble tops and copper piping are further trademarks of the local bakery.

On brighter days this spot is soaked in sun whether you’re inside or out and, with expansive windows that can open fully stretching the front and side of the building, this shop is bright and breezy when the weather permits.

We tried an espresso and an iced latte using The Flour Pot’s house blend, made up of Colombian, Brazilian and Rwandan beans. The espresso offered notes of hazelnut and cocoa, before blooming as it cooled to produced dried fruit flavours on the palette.

With the established independent shop 44 Poets just around the corner, this area of Hove is quickly becoming a community for coffee lovers.

The newest addition to the Boundary Road area, and its emerging coffee scene, is Blend Coffee Co. Although technically in Portslade, it is always exciting when new faces enter the Brighton coffee community, and Blend have really hit the ground running.

The decor is beautiful and minimalist, without being cold, and the colour scheme of blue works perfectly with the wooden highlights of the surfaces and shelves. Outside, they’ve turned their seating into a real feature. The space is subtly walled in by wooden planters, and the greenery makes you feel you’re in a private garden rather than the busy Boundary Road.

Blend Coffee Co. serve the always amazing Pharmacie Coffee. Their coffee is light and fruity, with a nice acidity and delicate notes that come through when served as espresso. There are also a range of loose leaf teas available, as well as a number of delicious cakes and pastries. Blend are an exciting prospect, and we hope to see more from them in the future.

In the last 12 months we’ve seen an explosion of artisan coffee shops opening in Hove. Only improving the quality on offer in this area, one such new addition in 2018 was Hixon Green Coffee & Wine Bar. As you approach, you’re struck by the vivid charcoal blue of the building’s exterior, with bold white lettering standing out from this facade, reading Hixon Green. Outside, wooden slats line the benches, tables, walls and ceilings, while tiles line the floor.

Once inside, the first thing that takes your attention is the beating heart of the coffee shop, the marble counter right at the epicentre of all the cafe’s working; from their bar to their cakes to their coffee machine, it all revolves around this centrepiece.

The atmosphere inside is peaceful and, once you’ve relaxed into the surroundings, your eyes are then drawn to the ceiling’s features, with metal decor highlighting the impressive chandelier hanging at its centre. Behind the central counter sits their high-end wall of wines, while a wireframe deer head sits on the wall adjacent, hanging over the feature fireplace.

When it comes to the coffee they are only about quality too. Serving Grind’s House Blend, their double espresso offers notes of cacao and marzipan with a big body, before cooling to reveal a cookie-like flavour. A great addition to the Hove coffee scene.

We’re blessed in Brighton with a wealth of high-end artisan coffee shops. Turn a corner, take a random alleyway or simply head straight, and you’re likely to come into contact with speciality coffee, using speciality equipment, soon enough. For some, buying the best gadgets and appliances on the market can create a case of all the gear but no idea, whereas for others, the high-end nature of the store only helps to add to the quality on offer.

Yet, push outside the walls of central Brighton and Hove and the odds of stumbling across elite coffee shops start to reduce. It’s not that these shops don’t exist, they just take some searching. As is the case for Okka, found midway up Dyke Road as it meets with the Upper Drive.

The upscale aesthetic of the interior is striking as soon as you enter; exposed brick walls, vintage wooden counters, chic lighting hanging from the ceiling, and quirky ornaments, that include a table-top telescope, all combine elegantly to create a luxurious shop layout.

This, however, doesn’t take away from the coffee at all. Serving Square Mile’s Red Brick blend on their Sanremo espresso machine, the coffee offered a creamy mouthfeel with rich, fudge-like notes before giving way to flavours of orange and brown sugar as it cooled.

With an eye for detail and a focus on quality, Okka is a worth a trip outside of the city’s centre. Just make sure you know where you’re going.

Coffee and cycling. Two pursuits that define the typical Brightonian and two pursuits that rely heavily upon one another. Visit any major city throughout Europe and you’re likely to find at least one speciality coffee shop which is not only dedicated to artisanal coffee but to the maintenance and upgrading of bicycles as well. The unity of the duo is obvious: whether it is a quick pick-me-up prior to a cycle ride, a sweet boost halfway through, or a rejuvenating brew at the end of a long journey, there is a certain dependency upon one another.

However, in Brighton and Hove we have lacked a shop which caters for both to a high level. Well, that is, until we made our way to Cafe Porteur in West Hove, right at the end of Church Road. As we approach, there are two bikes locked up outside the shop, with another hanging in the window.

Upon entering Porteur, you can’t help but enjoy the aesthetically-pleasing layout: wooden slats line the counter, rustic scaffold board dining tables extend out from the walls, which themselves are bedecked with cycling hats, socks, water bottles and cycling-centric posters.

Meanwhile, downstairs in the basement is the bicycle workshop, where you can book in your bike for maintenance or repair and, in this spacious basement area, there is also a cinema room for visitors to sit back and watch live races while enjoying their brew.

On the coffee front, Porteur serve Pharmacie Coffee beans on their Sanremo espresso machine, which offers a smooth and fruity espresso and upholds the high standards set by Pharmacie at their own shop.

There’s a selection of home-made food on offer too and, with seating inside and out and all the coffee and live cycling you could want, this is perfect for any riding fanatic and a great visit for fans of good coffee.