Before beginning your day moving in London there is nothing better than kick starting things with a great cup of coffee! Or for many Antipodeans and now Londoners, a good Flat White.
There is a bit of dispute as to the origins of the Flat White, being either created in New Zealand or Australia (much like Pavlova or Crowded House…less so over Russell Crowe). What isn’t disputed though, is that this drink is now deeply entrenched in both countries with a thriving cafe culture, and just a little bit of coffee snobbery.
Kiwi’s and Aussie’s have now exported this love of coffee to the UK and have been instrumental in creating the growing number of independent coffee shops and general lifting of standards. This initially started in Soho and Shoreditch and has now spread throughout the boroughs of London. The unrestrained rise of this culture was no more evident than when the behemoth coffee corporate, Starbucks, introduced the Flat White to its line up. It was clear to see the London and indeed UK coffee scene was changing.
Now it’s quite easy to get a half decent coffee wherever you go in London, if your lucky enough to live near Wandsworth, there are numerous locations to kick off the day or to catch up with friends over a coffee.
One of our favourite places to grab a coffee is a Pop Up Kitchen called CWTCH located by the Wandsworth Town train station. CWTCH (Welsh for small cupboard or cubbyhole) has been around for a few years, and offers great coffee, great grilled food and excellent service. The lads at CWTCH are a hardy bunch braving the elements 6 days a week, but will soon have a permanent structure and extended offering. Located on Old York Road in the popular Tonsleys area, there are a number of good alternatives, with thriving Brew recently opening on Old York Road (also on Northcote Rd) which offers a la carte fair along with good coffee and is a great brunch location and very popular.
We think some other good options include Birdhouse on St John’s Hill, The Roastery on Wandsworth Road and Jamie Oliver’s Recipese on St John’s Road.
So, when moving around London, if you are after a coffee on the go or a place to grab brunch with friends, Wandsworth offers some great options and is definitely worth exploring.