Although I've been drinking coffee from Sussex-based Pharmacie Coffee Roasters since 2018, somehow it took me until this month to visit their roastery and coffee bar in the heart of the South Downs in Lewes. To be fair, even though they've been around a lot longer, the roastery has only been in Lewes since 2021 and suffice it to say, my visit was well worth the wait.

I've been spending more time in Brighton over the past year since some of my family moved down that way. I haven't had the chance to do a full specialty coffee update yet — check out my mini-guide from 2020 — but I have been able to visit Dharma Specialty Coffee in Brighton's North Laine. In fact, I liked it so much, I've returned several times and had an enjoyable experience each time.

Despite it being a leap year, 2020 hasn't been a year where I've felt like leaping much, what with one thing and another. As such, my annual travel round-up post, where I highlight some of my favourite places for leaping that I've visited that year, has had a bit of a revamp. 

We're now inching closer to the end of an exceptionally challenging year. Despite everything, I know I'm very lucky to have remained healthy and in work (busier than ever, in fact, as I work for a science journal) throughout, but it's been such a difficult year for the hospitality industry, as coffee shops and eateries have had to adapt and then adapt some more in the face of constant change. 

It's been six years since my last post about the speciality coffee scene in Brighton and I've been meaning to do an update for some time. One of the Brighton and Hove coffee spots that has long been on my list is Pharmacie Coffee Roasters, whose coffee I've enjoyed on many previous occasions, but whose Hove roastery only opens to the public on Saturdays. As I made my recent visit to Brighton and Hove during midweek, hoping that it would be quieter, Pharmacie was out, however. As was Redroaster, a speciality coffee spot and all-day eatery, which re-opened, post-lockdown, two days after my visit.

I was supposed to be on holiday in Montenegro this week, but my flights were cancelled some months ago and, in any case, a flexible staycation seemed more doable in the present COVID-19 circumstances. Instead, I went to stay with my parents in Oxford for a few days, where we strolled in Port Meadow, visited a few coffee shops and recreated Molineux in the garden.

Although one day isn't enough time to spend in many of the cities I visit, it's definitely a good start. And if you choose a day-trip destination that has a good or growing specialty coffee scene, you can combine sight-seeing with coffee-shop hopping.

I first came across the Brighton-based Small Batch Coffee Company when its coffee was served in the all-too-short-lived Brewhouse on York. It was, then, an obvious first port of call on my day trip to Brighton at the weekend. I stopped by the Jubilee Street branch in the city centre and the place was bustling. There was a fairly big queue and only a couple of the pavement tables were free, although there was plenty of room for perching at the window inside.


As well as a menu of the standard espresso-based drinks, Small Batch also serves a couple of different hand-brewed filter coffees. Given how warm the day was, I was sorely tempted by the Kenyan iced pourover, but the other option at the brew bar was a Guatemalan coffee brewed with a Clever Dripper, and since Revolver in Vancouver, I've been a Clever convert.


I ordered one of the small squares of white chocolate caramel shortbread goodness and took a seat at the brew bar while my coffee was prepared. The coffee (£2.80) had a refreshing fruity acidity to it, and I could really taste the cleanness that the Clever Dripper is so good at providing. Small Batch is so named because they roast their coffee in small batches every day, which means it is always super-fresh.


In the café, Small Batch sells a selection of the usual coffee-making kit, as well as bags of their coffee beans and their cute mugs. If you're in the Jubilee Street branch, be sure to check out the loos, which are very cool! Small Batch has several cafés around Brighton and Hove. I walked past two of the others and they both looked lovely too.



Taylor Street Baristas is actually a London-based company and has eight branches in the capital (they're  also the guys behind the Tesco-housed Harris + Hoole cafés). None of the London branches open at the weekend, however, so I've never been able to visit. Taylor Street also has a café on Queens Road in Brighton, a few minutes south of the main station, and happily, this café does open up at the weekend.


The first thing you notice when you walk inside is the series of huge coffee taste charts on the walls, which offer you some insights into their coffees of the week. The décor is much more casual and homey than some of the slick, industrial-chic cafés you often see.


I ordered an Aeropress-brewed filter coffee (£3), choosing the fruitier Ethiopian variety over the nuttier, chocolatey Colombian variety. They also serve pourover coffee, and the usual espresso drinks, and sell a selection of cakes and pastries, as well as a tempting sweetcorn-avocado brunch dish, but I was too full. Instead, I took a seat at one of the tables and flicked through the Saturday papers while I waited for my coffee. After the cleanness of the Clever dripper, the Aeropress coffee tasted very slightly muddy, but it was still flavoursome and strong, with citrus notes.


Small Batch Coffee. 17 Jubilee Street, Brighton, BN1 1GE. Website. Twitter.
Taylor Street Baristas. 28 Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XA. Website. Twitter.

I don't visit many parts of the UK as often as I should and I certainly don't visit Brighton as often as I should. Back in the day, my brother studied in that part of the world and several of my university friends hailed from the area, so I had plenty of excuses to visit, but it  had been a while. Today, though, was one of those rare English summer Saturdays where it is sunny and warm but not too hot, and with no sign of rain, so I hopped on the train from London Bridge and by lunchtime, I was strollin' with the hipsters and yummy mummies.


My online research had indicated that street food exists in Brighton, and I made a beeline for Street Diner, a street-food market that is based in a park just off the Queens Road on Fridays and Saturdays. I had a quick look around, but I already knew what I wanted: a Trollkano burger from The Troll's Pantry. The £9 pricetag was a little steep—come on, guys, even my favourite, Bleecker Street Burger, only charges £6—but the Trollkano was pretty epic; a real sensory bombardment, involving chilli, chocolate, bacon and rum, as well as a tasty beef patty.



Next on my list was a trip to some of the design and home stores around the North Laine area. Unlimited on Church Street has great, colourful art prints and gorgeous jewellery, while Edited on Gardner Street is a haven of neon and amazing-smelling candles (I picked up one of Paddywax's tobacco and patchouli candles, which has a very unique scent). Then there's Utility on North Road, which is filled with no-nonsense retro homeware chic. Closer to the seafront is Our Daily Edit on Ship Street, which presents an immaculately curated selection of men's and women's clothes and accessories.. I also nipped in and out of a few of the many vintage boutiques in search of a costume for my trip to the Back to the Future Secret Cinema later this month, but I left empty-handed.



I had earmarked a couple of potential coffee hot spots to visit, and stopped by the Jubilee branch of Small Batch Coffee. A full review of this, and of Taylor Street Baristas on Queens Road, which I visited later in the day, will follow soon, but suffice to say that these are the two best places for a top-quality pouover or Aeropress brew in the city.



I walked down through Kemptown and then cut down to the beach and walked all the way back to the pier. It was such a gorgeous day that I regretted not bringing a swimsuit, although I did wade in up to my knees. The waves were pretty rough, so swimming probably wouldn't have been the best plan.




The pier itself was packed full with families, hen parties and sun-worshippers. I didn't go on any of the rides or spend my pennies in the arcades, but it was very nice to breathe the sea air.



I carried on walking down the beach to Hove, where things were much calmer. I visited a few antiques shops and then made my way back to Brighton. The obvious choice for dinner was fish and chips on the beach. Well, when in Brighton...