A sunny albeit cold afternoon in Nottingham.
It is not every day visit a bean-to-bar chocolate maker, craft beer brewery and a coffee roastery all in one day.
And visit a Thai restaurant and a coffee shop.
To Paste, Thai restaurant. Excellent lunch, generous portion size. As last week, empty.
Looked in Ugly Bread Bakery. Mentioned the Panorama programme on town centres broadcast on Monday, worth watching.
Invited to a meeting with retailers the following day.
Head off to Sneinton Market.
Pass Bookwise, a second hand bookshop. I briefly look in.
Sneinton Market fairly easy to find, head off straight down the street. The further I walk down the street, the seedier it becomes.
Google Maps says five minutes, more like ten minutes.
Steinton Market something of a disappointment. I was expecting something like Trinity Market in Hull. I was also expecting fruit and vegetable stalls. But no, revamped units, now let to small businesses by the local council. A good idea. Though nearly everything appeared to be closed.
I then happen upon Luisa’s bean-to-bar craft chocolate, the jewel in the crown in Sneinton Market.
I pop in, but at a delicate process. I am asked can I pop back? No problem. I am off to Blend coffee shop, I will return a little later.
Sneinton Market is three rows of long low outbuildings. In the second row I find a craft brewery. I pop in. Not open to visitors, but I walk in anyway. I buy a can of expensive IPA, only a choice of two. I don’t like cans, I prefer beer in bottles.
Then in the third row I find Stewarts of Trent Bridge, a coffee roastery. Again I pop in. I am kindly shown around, not that there is a lot to see apart from a Probat coffee roaster.
Then to Blend, a coffee shop, the retail outlet for the coffee roastery.
Open and airy, like a warehouse, but smell of frying bacon not so good, nor the loud unpleasant music, too loud. I was surprised how busy.
For an outlet for a coffee roastery not exactly showcasing their coffee, a single origin, not at all obvious, appears to be a blend that changes monthly and the house blend.
I asked for a cappuccino. As far as I could tell, no pour over on offer, or if there was not obvious as I did not see.
I was asked what size? Show me the cups. I asked for the correct size. Then a silly conservation ensues, told it is personal preference. No, there is only one size for a cappuccino, the correct size. It is always best to keep quiet than display ones ignorance. And if do not know, do not wish to know, then get out of coffee.
My coffee is brought blended with chocolate.
No, a cappuccino does not have chocolate, ether blended or dumped on top.
I take it back, ask for a cappuccino with no chocolate. I should not have to ask. I should be asked. And a good coffee shop would not ask as they would not dream of insulting clients with chocolate.
What is brought is not good. OK, but not good. Lukewarm, mediocre at best. Marginally better than 200 Degrees, which is a very low bar to exceed.
It is then back to Luisa’s. An interesting conversation on chocolate ensues.
I had tasted samples earlier. Another taste. Each one is better than before. In essence it is wow. Mind blowing chocolate. I have never before tasted such exquisite chocolate, though I have yet to try Bullion or Bare Bones from The Steam Yard. One fruity, maybe cherry like, another more citrus. Mind blowing flavours. The last one I tried, as I hold it in my mouth, the flavour intensifies.
These are not added flavours, these are the intrinsic flavours of the chocolate. This is what chocolate should taste like, not like Cadbury’s. A coffee analogy, coffee does not taste like the vile tasting undrinkable coffee served by Costa or Starbuck’s.
It is then to Outpost Coffee to enjoy a decent coffee.
Then to Ideas on Paper. Where I needed to visit, half price sale on back issues of magazine. But only time for a quick browse, no running late.
Dash Vegan zero waste shop has gone from Cobden Chambers. The restaurant had gone when I visited a few weeks ago. It was the zero waste side I excepted to go. I say gone, it has relocated to Hopkinson. But how long before it goes, as not a viable business the amateurish manner in which it is run. A pity they had not advised customers soonest, not waste a visit to find closed a notice posted on the door, especially as I had passed Hopkinson earlier, as would other customers if arrived by train.
Managed to catch train with a few minutes to spare. Have to walk to the front of the train to get on, standing room only.
