Week beginning Tuesday May 7th - Wouldn't it be amazing if they really did come in....

In planning the design of Kaffeine, we were, some may say...particular. I had a long, long list of what we did like and what we did not like. The architects we employed also had some very strong and great ideas. They suggested the bench style service, the espresso machine being at the back end and were adamant about the use of the up lights on our walls, but it was left to us to source our lights above the counter, the laboratory style tables and the bar stools.

We wanted to have the area down the back as a sort of movable, casual style seating area and we were  particular about the high tables and being able to sit with the back to the wall and look over the action. We eventually found, at the last minute, a very famous Swedish design company to supply the bar style seats.  The brick wall was discovered behind red painted concrete wall, so my wife (3 months pregnant) a friend Lara and I spent a whole weekend stripping it back to get the wall we have today.

Then one weekend, my wife and I were walking down past Victoria Park and we saw a small design shop, very nice, with these great lights on display. They'll be perfect above the counter, we thought. They are called Caravaggios and at £300 or so each, were a big purchase, but we went ahead with it and had them installed. They have proven to be very popular, we get people asking all the time about them. Here is an example....

Just the other day, we went to a Pret store in Kensington and found they had these.....(as well as a brick wall)

Of course it could be a complete coincidence, but, what if Mr. Pret really had been into our store and seen these lights and gone, 'let's get them in'.

If that was true, isn't it incredible to think how a tiny, small splash in a big, big pond can create ripples that go on and on and on. How little influences are taken and used in other places. Of course I took a whole lot of inspiration and ideas from other places too, but to, let's assume, have a multi national, multi millionaire company come into your independent store and directly copy one of your design features, well that would be pretty amazing.

Then again, I could just be making all this up.....

Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.70 (add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 4.00
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Coffee, cherry and walnut toast 2.30
Banana bread 2.40

Porridge - Served with rhubarb and raspberry compote, chopped nuts, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 3.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.80
Pain au chocolat 2.40
Almond croissants 2.80

Baked Treats
Sweet Muffins: Blueberry and bran 2.20
Savoury Scone: Pancetta, parmesan and sun dried tomatoes 2.20
Sticky date friands 2.20
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.40
White chocolate blondies 2.40
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 1.80
Afgan cookies 1.80

French retro baguettes 4.90
Smoked salmon, lime cream cheese, cucumber, thai basil, rocket

Parma ham, pear, gorgonzola, spinach

Foccacias 5.00
Ham, avocado, tomato, rocket, chilli aioli

Pickled beetroot, mature cheddar, creamed leek, spinach

Salads: 5.50/6.50
Bresaola beef, radish, sliced fennel, goats curd, radicchio, ground ivy

Julienne Japanese knot weed, rock samphire, fresh peas, carrot, wild horseradish and lime

Shredded Dittander and asparagus, willow catkins, grapefruit, pistachio

Tart: 4.00 or 7.50 with salad
Raw vegetable lasagne salad