Barista & Co are Coming to the High Street!

This is not a drill. I repeat. This is not a drill. 

 

We're done with lockdowns. We're done with looking at each other's blank expressions over teams. And we're absolutely done with not being able to interreact with our community in a face-to-face environment.  

 

So we decided to do something about it. 

 

Anyone who knows James will know that he's full of ideas (some slightly more farfetched than others). They'll also know that once James gets an idea in his head, it's not long before it becomes a Barista & Co reality. As you can imagine, back in January when James told us all we'd signed the paperwork on a high street location we we're a little bit shocked. 

 

Now we're days away from opening the first ever Barista & Co Showroom and I can't even begin to explain how excited we are. 

 

Before I reveal the location (this is your cue to scroll down if you're nosey), let's go through what you can expect when you come in and see us. It would have been far too easy to open a coffee shop. Yes, our super fresh coffee is hands down the best I've ever tasted. There's also a real lack of manual brewers on the high street (where does one go for a pour over these days!?). But we believe that a great cup of coffee comes down to 3 things. 

 

Number 1: Roast Fresh 

If it's not fresh, it won't be the best cup of coffee you've ever tasted. Fact.  

 

Did you know that supermarket coffee could have been in the bag for 2 years before you take it home?  

 

Our super fresh coffee is roasted, rested and posted to your door within 7 days. I'm not a mathematician... but isn't that like 720 days fresher!? 

 

Coffee is a personal experience... and we're not going to tell you what you should and shouldn't like. What we will do is make sure you can get what you like roasted fresh. 

 

Number 2: Grind Fresh 

There's a reason that the takeaway coffee you get from your local coffee shop is better than the one you make at home. Not to throw shade, but it definitely isn't the beans they're using. 

 

It's all because they grind their coffee fresh to order. Whether they use an espresso machine, a pour over or a simple filter coffee maker... every barista agrees that coffee tastes better when it's ground fresh. 

 

Of course, the problem with that is that coffee grinders are notoriously expensive and not the type of kit your everyday caffeine addict has at home. Cheaper grinders are available, but what's the point when they don't offer the quality and consistency needed to deliver a great brew every time? Let's not even get on to the topic of kitchen space. Apparently you need to be earning at least £100k a year to afford a kitchen big enough for a decent grinder these days... 

 

With that in mind, we wanted to develop an electric coffee grinder that didn't break the bank, delivered consistent grind size and was streamlined and stylish. The Core All Grind ticks all the boxes (no wonder it's featured in Elle Magazine, The Independent, BBC Good Food and won the Excellence in Housewares Award 2021). P.s it's also got 5 stars on Trustpilot but we don't like to brag. 

 

Number 3: Brew Fresh 

Do you sense a theme here? Coffee tastes better when it's fresh. But what do we mean when we say brew fresh? 

 

It's a tough one really. Last year we ran an independent study to find out what kind of coffee makers you have at home and what style of coffee you prefer to drink. If you're not a coffee snob, you might not be familiar with terms like 'mouthfeel', 'body', 'acidity' and 'process'. These are all factors that affect the final cup... but it's not just the beans that impact the type of coffee you end up drinking. 

 

The brewing method has a much bigger impact on the final cup... I bet you didn't know that. Some people like their coffee strong, thick and velvety – a coffee press would suit them perfectly. Other people like a clean and crisp brew – they'd find a pour over a much better option. 

 

Barista & Co have introduced a full range of 5 unique coffee makers, perfectly suited to your chosen style of brew. To make it simple, we've created the Coffee Maker Quiz that tells you exactly what sort of kit you need to achieve your perfect cup whether you're at home, at work or on an adventure. 

 

By making specialty coffee simple and cutting out the jargon, our aim is to make it easy for everyone to brew fresh at home. 

 

High Street Showroom 

As you can imagine, with all of that going on behind the scenes... it wasn't as simple as opening a coffee shop. Yes, obviously you can get a coffee. We've got some amazing local businesses lined up to supply us with brownies, cookies and other baked goodies as well. 

 

But what about the people who have bought their first Sage Barista Pro and want to learn how to get the most of it? What about the people who know freshly ground coffee tastes better but haven’t got a coffee grinder at home yet? What about the people at the start of their manual brewing journey, just coming to terms with what it means to brew fresh?  

 

And... most importantly... what about the people who like to have a beer while they discuss the ins and outs of specialty coffee. 

 

The high street isn’t dead. It's just been so long since someone opened something new – Barista & Co are here to change that. 

 

What Can You Expect: 

We're really happy with our vision and we do have to say a huge thank you to the team who have been working around the clock to turn our Pinterest board into a living breathing showroom. Like I've said many times already, the Barista & Co Showroom isn't just a pop in for your flat white kind of place. Here's some of the things you can expect to find when you walk through the door: 

 

• Coffee, cake and everything in between 
• Coffee machine masterclasses 
• Friendly advice from your local roasters 
• Moccamasters, Rocket Espresso Machines and more on display for you to practice with 
• Finance options on premium home coffee makers 
• Off the shelf manual brewing solutions 
• Coffee tasting events 
• And more... 

 

If you're a Barista & Co Regular, you'll get a free cup of coffee every time you visit. You'll also get tons of opening week exclusive's, like huge discounts on our coffee makers and a free t-shirt. 

 

It sounds a lot. It is a lot. But as a small company that's managed to create 5 award-winning coffee makers, an acclaimed coffee grinder and roast super fresh coffee for our Regulars every day we know we can handle this. 

 

Where To Find Us 

Be honest, how many of you have already read this part? Thought so. The new showroom will be opening its doors any day now on Ringwood High Street. We love Ringwood! And we're absolutely over the moon to be joining the community. 

 

Find the Barista & Co Showroom at: 

31 Market Place,  

Ringwood,  

Hampshire 

BH24 1AN 

Yes, we are right next door to Prezzo. Don't mind me if I'm tucking into a lasagne when you visit. 

 

When Do We Open 

While we haven’t got an opening date in the diary just yet (thought we better get London Coffee Festival out the way first!), we can tell you it will be soon. We're talking days... not months. We'll be hosting a whole week of events for press, coffee enthusiasts and the Ringwood community to celebrate our opening so make sure you keep an eye out. 

 

To be the first person to find out when we open, just head over to this page and fill in the form. We'll send you an email with your invitation (and maybe chuck some freebies in there as well). You can also follow us on Instagram to see the progress of the new shop and get a first glance look at the interiors. 

 

And we'd just like to say one final thank you to you. It's crazy to remember where we were even 2 years ago. Even crazier to think of everything that has happened, and is happening, in the world. Barista & Co wouldn't be opening our first showroom if it wasn't for our community. Every day we welcome new coffee subscribers. More and more people are tagging our milk jug in their latte art videos. And even the fact that you're here, reading this blog right now, shows that you've got a genuine interest in what's going on in our world. 

 

We're not broaching this new venture for you. We're broaching this new venture because of you. 

 

Here's to many more super fresh brews.