Cool Coffee with Rikesh Chauhan

Cool Coffee is a new feature for Cultrface where I ask people to talk about their favourite coffee brands. The first up is Cultrface’s spiritual forefather, coffee connoisseur, and my good friend Rikesh Chauhan.

Like most things, my pursuit of good quality coffee beans was ex during the first lockdown of 2020. My usual haunts around East London were all closed indefinitely, and the thought of them not making it through to the other side was quite disheartening. Fortunately, the large majority moved their operations digital — allowing for people to purchase beans (and later, takeaway coffees) to be delivered to your door. Safe to say that a couple years later, and there are a select few that have left a lasting impression.

Ozone Coffee Roasters

Not only was their Leonard Street location my home away from home, but their coffee never missed — whether you were dining in or taking away. Their aesthetic in-store is just as sleek online, and the website is a dream to use. El Yalcon in particular is a must-try if you haven’t yet had the pleasure.

Origin Coffee

Another great location that have utilised the power of online purchasing. Origin probably has the widest assortment of beans available, with batch runs ensuring a lot of what you have will be limited in edition. No sweat though, as even though a favourite might no longer be available, it’ll soon be replaced by a roast that’s even better. Spring for the Gesha — it’s a previous Honduras Cup of Excellence winner.

The Roasting Shed

Based in East London, I came across The Roasting Shed earlier in 2021, and I’ve not had a single coffee that wasn’t exceptional. All small batch, fully traceable and entirely uncompromising. Definitely worth a try. Kaku, roasted in Yunnan, China, is a particularly exciting microlot.

Hard Lines

Not going to lie, every now and then I’ll pick up a bag of beans purely because of the branding. So I was delighted when I discovered that Hard Lines’ coffee is equally as punchy and bright! It’s impossible to pick a favourite, but Brazil House Party and Ethiopia Sawana Kebele are a good introduction to the brand.

Caravan Roastery

Caravan has a beautiful assortment of coffee at your disposal, categorised under the Americas, Africa and Blends. If you’re stuck, you can always pick up their sample pack to help guide you. I do love trying something new whenever I can with Caravan, and highly recommend doing the same! Peru Gesha and Africa Kilimbi FTW.

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