Broughton, meet Ben – guerilla barrista and smiling face of LOCK_UP_COFFEE on Broughton Street Lane (between Picardy Place and Forth Street).
The new venture (actually six weeks old but content for now to build its reputation by word of mouth) is an offshoot of Freeman’s Coffee in Marchmont. But it’s Ben Wylie whose calling the shots here with his choice of guest espresso each week and a selection of gourmet sugars to sweeten the brews.
This is another local flowering of 'third wave coffee' – no-frills connoisseurship with none of the BS.
The boss in the background is David Freeman – an ex-Army entrepreneur who’s taken a shine to Broughton Street’s blend of boho chic and independent creativity. Here in the garage at No. 14, he plans a mix of limited office space for himself, storage for an espresso machine merchant, and space for a further 4–6 stalls featuring a revolving medley of small businesses and sole traders selling their wares.
Protected from the wind and rain and south-facing on sunny mornings, the site is already proving a hit with local restaurant and hotel staff on breaks, and the cognoscenti following the scent of fresh beans on the breeze. Regular customers can sign up to the evolving artwork which is the loyalty card (above-right).
Spurtle visited yesterday morning and sampled the Sumatra Aceh Jagong. The 'rich dark cocoa body with tangerine and orange flavours' was delicious. This correspondent’s feet did not touch the pavement for an hour-and-a-half afterwards.
LOCK_UP_COFFEE (on Twitter @LockupCoffee) opens from 10am–4pm, Saturdays and Sundays.
