Reviews
Located at the foot of a sleek office building in downtown Glasgow, Laboratorio Espresso is a masterclass in doing one simple thing well. Maybe two things, if you count the cake. Opening in the autumn of 2013 on West Nile Street, a few minutes walk from Queen’s Street train
Reviews
Coffee has a long history in Malawi, but it’s still surprising to learn its origin: according to James Hoffmann, in his book The World Atlas of Coffee, it was a Scottish missionary, Dr James Buchanan, who first introduced the plant to this East African country. In 1878 he brought
Reviews
Inverness is the largest city and de facto capital of the Scottish Highlands. Nearly a quarter of the population of the Highlands live in or around it, so it’s clearly an important town - it's even been voted the best place to live in the country more
Reviews
One of the largest and most popular parks in Edinburgh is the Meadows, located just to the south of the city centre. It is a favourite with tourists, families, dog walkers and urban ramblers. With most parks, however, should a coffee thirst hit one’s options are usually limited to
Coffee Features
Spring has, it seems, finally sprung, which means that summer can’t be far away (and yes, I know this is Scotland, stop sniggering at the back). With the trees blooming, the days lengthening, and the weather becoming incrementally warmer, a coffee lover’s thoughts turn to the possibilities of
Coffee At The Movies
A History Of Violence (2005) appears, on the face of it, like director David Cronenberg’s attempt to go mainstream. Compared to his earlier work, for example Shivers or Videodrome or The Fly, it is a relatively conventional, low-key film. It is reserved, quiet, and measured (apart from the graphic
Reviews
Kaf Coffee is extremely new. When I visited it had been open perhaps a week, tops. A sliver of a place with a bright white-painted storefront, it sits comfortably on Hyndland Street in Glasgow’s West End. However, it feels like it has been in business for years, the atmosphere
Reviews
One of the main reasons I started this blog (aside from it being a way to explore and promote the specialty coffee industry in Scotland), was in order to discover a broader range of coffee origins. My job as a roaster in the States, and the customer base of the
Reviews
It’s possible that, after six months living back in Scotland, I’m finally starting to miss the US. A case in point: during a recent visit to Glasgow, it felt to me a lot like a midwestern American city. Now, obviously Glasgow is a unique place: dynamic, edgy, and
Reviews
It’s a little strange that it’s taken me this long to get around to reviewing Artisan Roast’s coffee, seeing as how they are essentially the founders of specialty coffee in Scotland. I’ve visited their cafes numerous times, and reviewed their charming Stockbridge, Edinburgh, location on this
Coffee Features
Latte. Espresso. Cappuccino. These are all familiar, perhaps even comforting words. They conjure up images of hip London coffee shops; Italian street cafes; cosy conversations with friends. And it’s clear what those words mean: we can all close our eyes and picture exactly what each word denotes. Other coffee-and-milk
Reviews
Wellington Coffee is a hard place to track down. Both in a figurative sense, because it has minimal-to-zero internet presence, and also literally as its basement location means it is easy to walk by without seeing it. One of six Edinburgh cafes owned by barista champion Jon Sharp - sister