TOAST is a very unique place, I’ve never been anywhere like it before. I think this is a feeling a lot of people will get when they first walk in to this new Saddleworth café, bar and roastery. With its vast array of exotic coffees, teas and wines lining the walls, it has the feel of a Santa’s grotto (but for all year round) It’s like being a kid in a candy store; accept you’re probably an adult looking for something a little more sophisticated.
It’s obvious this place has been created for the sheer love of it, there’s no question of trying to conform to any sort of norms here. There are over 40 varieties of freshly roasted coffee beans from all over the world, and a similar number of teas and infusions. The fact the coffee is roasted freshly on site makes all the difference to the taste, according to the owner Brian Hockenhull.
It’s obvious this place has been created for the sheer love of it, there’s no question of trying to conform to any sort of norms here. There are over 40 varieties of freshly roasted coffee beans from all over the world, and a similar number of teas and infusions. The fact the coffee is roasted freshly on site makes all the difference to the taste, according to the owner Brian Hockenhull.
“For great tasting coffee the single most important factor is how recently the beans were roasted. Coffee made in a cheap cafetiere from freshly roasted beans can taste 100% better than coffee made using old beans in the most expensive machine. The experts reckon that coffee is at its best 2-9 days after roasting, and here at TOAST we roast our beans every day.”
You can enjoy any of the beverages on site or take them away. The wine typically costs between £7 and £12 a bottle, and the one I had was certainly very good. There’s also a projector screen so video entertainment is available. Another delightful feature of TOAST is the selection of Olive Oils, of which you are welcome to pour yourself a taster of. I particularly liked the lemongrass and the chocolate, orange and cinnamon (of course you can buy a bottle too)
You can enjoy any of the beverages on site or take them away. The wine typically costs between £7 and £12 a bottle, and the one I had was certainly very good. There’s also a projector screen so video entertainment is available. Another delightful feature of TOAST is the selection of Olive Oils, of which you are welcome to pour yourself a taster of. I particularly liked the lemongrass and the chocolate, orange and cinnamon (of course you can buy a bottle too)
One of the other things that I like about TOAST (and hence why I’m writing this article) is the focus on ethics and fair pricing. The business tries to do more than token gestures as Brian explains…
“Around 80 % of the world’s coffee is farmed in smallholdings typically about 1 acre. On average the smallholder will receive one penny for the beans he grows to make up your latte, and of that 20% is for him and his family. Poverty breeds malnutrition, and in Ethiopia, which is where it all started, 1 in 600 children is born with some form of facial deformity. So, I don't charge more than £1 for a coffee - if people want to pay more I urge them to donate to Project Harar Ethiopia, a charity which funds Western doctors to go out there and fix faces.
I'm amazed that the likes of Starbucks and Costa claim to be socially responsible - they could have put a stop to this with all the money they get from charging over £2. I also make sure I source my beans from the co-ops that are doing great things, like putting in schooling, medical facilities, plants for washing the beans and guaranteeing prices and providing insurance against crop failure, as well as making sure that natural processes are used that don't harm the environment. That way I can go beyond mere Fair Trade.”
“Around 80 % of the world’s coffee is farmed in smallholdings typically about 1 acre. On average the smallholder will receive one penny for the beans he grows to make up your latte, and of that 20% is for him and his family. Poverty breeds malnutrition, and in Ethiopia, which is where it all started, 1 in 600 children is born with some form of facial deformity. So, I don't charge more than £1 for a coffee - if people want to pay more I urge them to donate to Project Harar Ethiopia, a charity which funds Western doctors to go out there and fix faces.
I'm amazed that the likes of Starbucks and Costa claim to be socially responsible - they could have put a stop to this with all the money they get from charging over £2. I also make sure I source my beans from the co-ops that are doing great things, like putting in schooling, medical facilities, plants for washing the beans and guaranteeing prices and providing insurance against crop failure, as well as making sure that natural processes are used that don't harm the environment. That way I can go beyond mere Fair Trade.”
Brian isn’t a fan of the chain coffee shops and wants to show how things can be done better; I don’t think anyone can argue he’s succeeded in doing that. I was disappointed to see that Odder Bar on Oxford Rd in Manchester has been recently replaced by one of these chain coffee shops, despite there being another one on the same block. Odder Bar was in a similar ilk to TOAST, with its quirky features, interesting drinks selection and generally fun feel to the place. Business is so much better when it has originality and flair, these features are lost all too often when it becomes too big and standardised. TOAST is a refreshing example of how to do things the right way, and certainly worth the journey.
http://www.thethirdwavecoffee.co.uk/
http://www.thethirdwavecoffee.co.uk/