Warwick Street Kitchen

1. Tell us a little about Warwick Street Kitchen.

@warwickstreetkitchen opened in 2017 in Leamington Spa, we then opened @saintkitchen in Birmingham in 2019 and then @wskbakery in Warwick in 2022. We serve a 100% homemade menu, specialty coffee and pastries from our bakery. It’s been a whirlwind but sticking to our guns on our values; quality, honesty and customer service seem to have served us well. We always believed that great coffee and great food didn’t have to be mutually exclusive and that you shouldn’t have to wait for a special occasion to have really good food, we re-visit these beliefs every time we train a new member or design a new menu.

2. What is your most memorable coffee experience?

The first time I tasted a coffee that didn’t taste like coffee. I was working at my first specialty cafe 12 or so years ago and the Head Barista was opening my eyes to the wonderful, wide world of coffee. I’ll never forget, he brewed me a natural Ethiopian on V60 and totally blew my tiny mind. That was it for me after that, this drink that had always been a bit ‘meh’ for me took on a whole new meaning. Since then I have been fortunate enough to visit some of the best cafes in the world, but nothing tops that first experience that opened my eyes. It totally shaped my future in coffee.

3. What does your morning coffee routine look like?

I have a wilfa grinder and a moccamaster. The simplicity and speed suits me to a T. I plod into my kitchen, bleary eyed, and in 60 seconds I can: weigh coffee, dump coffee in machine, pour water, hit button and et voila! Great filter coffee! I am fortunate that I have very easy access to great coffee via the cafes. I also want to give honourable mention to the mug – I religiously use the same mug by an indie potter that I picked up at a coffee festival. Something about that steaming hot filter coffee, in a beautifully hand crafted mug that fits my hand just right can’t be beaten.