A pleasant warm day in Brighton.
Train Reading to Gatwick, once again toilet with bowl full to overflowing. Disgusting.
At Brighton Station, looked in Passenger Lounge, which is also a FCB coffee shop. I learnt last week, useful source of information.
I wish last week, I had picked up a copy of North Laine News, or whatever it was called. Strange that I have never seen copies in North Laine.
Grocer and Grain
Popped in Grocer and Grain. I was pleased to find the Turkish owner, as I have not seen him for several years. Delightful selection of cakes, coffee beans sourced from three different companies. Widest selection of Union Hand Roasted I have seen anywhere. He also serves coffee and yet Union refuse to supply 1 kg bags, which is very short-sighted of Union. He sources from a fourth company, who roast the beans locally, for the coffee he serves
I had a cappuccino, which was excellent. A little grocery shop, is not where you expect to find excellent coffee, but then Grocer and Grain excel at everything they do.
On my way down to the seafront, I looked in Mojo Independent Artisan Coffee House, not that I wished for a coffee. Described as a artisan coffee shop, only to be a laughing stock when LavAzza beans.
Next door, The Fair Shop, slow fashion, sustainable fashion.
I have not seen the sea so high.
To North Laine, for lunch at Iydea.
Passing through The Lanes, a chat with a musician who was having a break. Did he have anything for sale. Yes, he showed me. I already have. Yes, he remembered me from before.
As always, excellent lunch at Iydea. Quiche, with roast potatoes and peas, strictly speaking pea pods. A dog sat outside eating carrots.
I always think of The Laines as three streets, one follows the other. Does it also include the streets that run off? These also have interesting shops, though these streets are less frequented.
The Brighton Sausage shop is one such shop. They have an interesting selection of cheeses.
Coffee at 33
I then went up the next street, not sure why. Magazine Brighton. I was confused with Brighton Viva. Magazine Brighton is a shop that sells magazines, not as I assumed, the name of a magazine. Magazines not seen elsewhere. It seemed to be a popular shop. They also had on sale coffee beans. But no mention of roast date or weight.
I was told go further up the street where I would find the coffee shop, Coffee at 33.
They also had bottles of beer. Beer on salee too? No, it was for a group of cyclist, who had just arrived having cycled down from London.
Coffee at 33. Selection of cakes. In the corner, a strange set-up, looked more suited to a laboratory. What was it? A coffee roaster. Hot air forced in through three tiny nozzles, creates a vortex, which roasts the beans. When roasted, the beans drop out, and are rapidly cooled. No little inspection hatch, but I was told not necessary, as can see the beans. Handles 2 kg. How did it compare with a drum roaster, with same roast profile? Subtle differences in the taste.
Excellent cappuccino and excellent pecan slice. Best coffee in Brighton.
Beans on sale, 250 grams or 500 grams.
I suggested supply Grocer and Grain, if they had the ability.
I guy in the corner was reading Woodlands by Oliver Rackham. The expert on woodlands. I have Trees and Woodlands in the English Landscape.
I recommended read The Global Minotaur and And the Weak Suffer What They Must? by Yanis Varoufakis. Completly different topic, but like books by Oliver Rackham, readable and well reached.
I had wished to visit Infinity Foods, but now to late.
I looked in Bond St Coffee. What was the coffee last week? They suggested a Colombian bean always single origin. Not Workhorse, which is what Krema in Farnham use.
Back down too the seafront.
Too late for a crab sandwich
I felt like calling it a day, but half an hour spare to catch a train.
I decided to walk to Hove, to see if Taj The Grocer was still there. A couple of yeas ago, I had been told it had closed. I was pleased to find it still there. A Middle Eastern food shop.
On my way back, I deiced to check out the glass building that lies at the base of the Brighton iSore. A bar complex, where you are met at the door, leading through to a souvenir shop selling tourist tat.
Back along the seafront. I now fancied a wlak along the pier, but decided no, head for the station.
I saw Grocer and Grain was still open. I popped in and bought one of his delightful cakes. I suggested they checked out Coffee at 33 as a source of coffee beans and maybe sell the bagged beans.
Train to Gatwick, then Gatwick-Guildford-Reading train. As with train coming down, the one and only toilet on the train in a disgusting state.
- PHOTOS Sunday in Brighton (to follow)
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