The concept of a restaurant that roasts its own coffee beans would turn few heads in the capital of New Zealand. Wellington now counts more coffee roasters than surfing instructors amongst its population of 180,000.
“Actually there are no good waves in Wellington,” says chef Miles Kirby (at right in photo), co-owner of Caravan, a new restaurant roastery on London’s Exmouth Market.
“Bit cold in Wellington for surfing,” adds Chris Ammermann, Kirby’s partner and fellow expat.
Who knew?
Perhaps thwarted in their search for surging breakers between the banks of the Thames, Kirby and Ammermann have caught another kind of Antipodean-ridden wave – the third wave of coffee in London. They’ve installed a 10-kilo coffee roaster in the basement of Caravan, making it the first restaurant in the UK to also practice trade as a coffee roaster, shop, retailer and wholesaler. [Read more...]
