Monmouth Coffee - The Original Roaster of London
Monmouth Coffee Company
Locations:
Covent Garden: 27 Monmouth St, London WC2H 9EU
Borough Market: 2 Park St, London SE1 9AD
Spa Terminus: Unit 4 Discovery Estate, London (Friday to Saturday only, no indoor-sitting)
Nothing says Londoner more than the average Joe patiently standing in a long line but the queue to grab a cup of Joe from Monmouth is on par with the Changing of the Guard ceremony. Everyday (except Sundays) a pavement opposite Borough Market overflows with a mix of coffee connoisseurs and the plainly curious, waiting to get caffeinated inside this mysterious coffee shop. Before entry, a barista graciously informs you that the premises does not serve coffee in paper cups and that you can pay a £5 refundable deposit for a Monmouth reusable cup. Your other option is to drink from a mug inside Monmouth. Since an available seat inside is as rare as some of the Arabica varieties sold at Monmouth, a popular choice is to accept the free mug option and sip your coffee standing up or outside the cafe – if you remember to return the mug! While this inconvenience may deter a few members of the flock, the Monmouth coffee experience at Borough is not for the faint-hearted – many thus soldier on. Of course, you could avoid the chaos and enjoy a quieter brew at Monmouth’s original location on Monmouth street in Covent Garden.
Monmouth deserves its hype, being considered the first independent roaster in Britain. The original Monmouth opened its eyes in 1978 on a sleek lane lying upon Covent Garden. In the basement of its cosy cafe, Londoners could smell the aroma of freshly roasted coffee, an enterprise that is easy to take for granted today as the city is host to countless roasteries. Additionally, while heightened consumer awareness of fair trade or ethical coffee has put pressure on coffee companies to evaluate where and how they choose to source their coffee, Monmouth has emphasised socially responsible trading from its birth. For example, Monmouth source their coffee from “single farms, estates and cooperatives.” Through personally visiting these farms or cooperatives, Monmouth have a deeper understanding of traceability and any difficulties encountered by members lower down in the coffee commodity chain. The focus on traceability has a substantially beneficial impact on quality as consumers can enjoy the distinct flavour profiles of single origin coffee. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try their filter-of-the-day, which is made with twenty-two grams of coffee per mug. While drinking it black will allow you to appreciate each interesting flavour note, their café au lait is hot milk poured into filter coffee for those days where you’re just craving the comfort of a milkier coffee. That said, they have a whole selection of espresso-based milk drinks to choose from, including iced.
James Hoffmann, popular Youtuber for coffee-related content and author of ‘The World Atlas of Coffee’ includes Monmouth amongst four London coffee institutions which had an impact on his early coffee career. Hoffmann mentions that Monmouth was one of the first London-based coffee shops to source from single origin farms. While serving single-origin coffee is becoming more common amongst coffee shops in London, Hoffmann highlights how Monmouth is not concerned with following high-street trends and remains committed to its own caffeinated path. In this way, Monmouth is a relic with a heartbeat, alive with the bustle of crowds anxiously-awaiting their turn to experience its magic beans.
You haven’t really bean to London until you’ve taken part in this queue-for-coffee experience outside Monmouth.
