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.
Caravan has already made world-class coffee connections. Kirby and Ammermann source their green coffee beans from Mercanta, a leading importer of speciality coffee, and rely on a champion-calibre barista to extract their most desirable characteristics. Caravan’s coffees, once roasted and rested, are brewed in-house on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays by 2010 UK Latte Art Champion Neil Le Bihan of Exchange Coffee.
Kirby’s approach to both food and coffee is global. As chef or roaster he’d never limit his inspiration to a single continent. His favourite coffee of the moment is the Rwandan Musasa Cooperative (red bourbon varietal). Its tropical fruitiness informs Caravan’s Brazilian-anchored espresso blend (and Le Bihan’s hanging tulip latte) yet is best appreciated on its own, as filter coffee slowly cooling in its cup. The flavours evolve.
From late morning through lunch, the Caravan coffee experience is influenced by greasy, smokey fumes blowing into the restaurant from the sausage stand directly out front on Exmouth Market. Kirby and Ammermann applaud the improvised fusion. Downstairs, another unplanned mingling of cooking vapours is taking place. Air currents push the exhaust from the coffee roaster back towards the kitchen and its sizzling frying pans.
How would Kirby feel if his cooking oils absorbed the roasting fumes, imparting coffee notes to falafel and soft-shell crab as they fried?
“If it happens,” responds Kirby, philosophically, “great!”
Ok – I’ve got to make the effort and wander there this weekend. I always get stuck at the other offerings on the way.
Shame Neil that isn’t there on the weekends as they cycle down to his place in Greenwich is a bit far for an average day.
PS was Nude not the first place to get busy with a roaster in the basement?
I came all the way from Toronto, Canada and fell in love with the location, the layout but most importantly the great team.
Miles food is really fantastic (almost tried the entire menu) and Neil constantly whips out fantastic delicious coffees.
A force to behold. Keep up the great work!
Caravan is a gem and we Londoners are lucky to have another cracking Antipodean cafe and restaurant in the city. Every cup of coffee at Caravan is a little labour of love. But Caravan is so much more – a grerat place to while away an afternoon and watch the world go by the big picture windows and with an exciting and adventurous Kiwi menu of light-ish bites. Get along before the TimeOut readers put this place on the map and lay claim!
I absolutely can’t wait to try Caravan. Have heard so many good things. Must get my skates on.
I have just returned from my first trip to Caravan and savoured a freshly filtered Musasa. I think I can boldly say that it was the best coffee I have had for a long time and I may have entered into a dangerously addictive relationship…
http://afternoontease.co.uk/post/508856960/caravan-of-love
We were there on Sat, at last a proper kiwi brunch haunt in London! Thank you guys!
Hi,
I was there last night, my boyfriend works around the corner. We had fantastic Italian red wine and were really interested by the coffee. I’ll have to go back there soon for breakfast, didn’t fancy a cup at 9 in the evening!
Yuki