London Lockdown: Caravan, The Coffee, The Book

“I’d rather take coffee than compliments just now.”

      – Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

So much has changed over the last year, that I find it hard to think about anything without thinking about how it was before the pandemic.  Coffee is no exception.  I have enjoyed coffee for years, with a daily drinking habit, which at one time gave me palpitations such was my love for the roasted bean. As I look back at my relationship with coffee I realise that before lockdown 1.0 and the closure of all restaurants and cafes, it was a fairly unexciting, perfunctory relationship.  I drank it because I enjoyed it and was clearly slightly addicted to it, but I gave it little serious consideration.  I certainly didn’t think too hard about the type of coffee I drank, or where it came from.

However, lockdown happened and it seemed that almost all pleasures were removed from our lives.  I suddenly realised how much I missed not only the ritual of buying a takeaway coffee, but particularly the joy of sitting in a cafe with a ‘good’ coffee.

One of the greatest joys of the relaxing of rules in the first lockdown for me, was being able to walk to a local-ish bakery and buy a coffee and an almond croissant.  Neither have ever tasted so good. The first time was such an occasion, it was marked with a photograph of me clinging onto my paper cup of coffee and looking ridiculously pleased with myself!

This is a rather long winded way of introducing you to ‘Caravan’ one of my current favourite London coffees, but it was at this local-ish bakery that I discovered it.

Caravan Coffee Roasters

Caravan coffee began in a roastery in in Exmouth Market in 2010.  The roastery was combined with a restaurant serving food and alcohol.  Today the coffee is roasted in a Kings Cross converted grain store which is also the site of one of the 5 Caravan restaurants.  Caravan takes coffee very seriously and encourages everyone who works for them to do the same by engaging in conversation about the beauty of well made, freshly roasted coffee.  Their ethos is to source the best quality coffee in the most sustainable, social and ethical way.  This means they visit the farms where the coffee is grown and work to develop a lasting relationship with the famers who grow it.

It was a good day when I discovered I could order the Coffee to be delivered directly to my door.  Now when I am at home, coffee has become much more of a ritual and an event I look forward to.  If it is only me partaking, I make a cafetière for one and drink it from a small mug.  This gives the illusion of making it go further.  If my husband is joining me I make a larger pot and we enjoy it together.  This means I can have a cup and a half which pleasingly prolongs the whole process and is a lovely moment of calm.

“What on earth could be more luxurious than a sofa, a book, and a cup of coffee?”

Anthony Trollope, The Warden

Supporting Local Brands

I feel quite strongly about the importance of supporting local brands whenever possible. Another thing I have tried to do more of during the pandemic.  If I can buy something which is produced and lovingly made in London then I’m all for it.  In the depths of lockdown 3.0, a weekend walk to the bakery to buy a cup of caravan coffee remains a treat, and is a throughly enjoyable way of supporting two local businesses

The Book – ‘Caravan, Dining All Day’

As soon as I am allowed, I shall be making the trip to the Caravan restaurant in Fitzrovia to sit quietly with a book and a lovingly brewed cup of coffee and breakfast. In the mean time I shall be flicking through, and cooking from the beautiful Caravan Cook Book.

I came across the book when ordering coffee through their on line shop. Like the restaurants the cookbook has the whole day covered starting with coffee and breakfast, moving through lunch, afternoon tea and finishing with dinner and cocktails.  I was instantly attracted to the recipes which have a well travelled global vibe, a result of its antipodean founders.  At the moment, an excellent away to travel, is through food don’t you think?

‘Dining All Day’ is a beautifully constructed book, printed on thick quality paper which with a sturdy binding which means it lays flat when you open it, so important in making a cookery book user friendly.  It is also beautiful to look at, which is also important where cookbooks are concerned.  The photography is stylish and understated and all of the food looks immensely eatable.  I baked coconut bread with lemon curd cream cheese and poached rhubarb recently and it was delicious in every way.  It was fun to make all the component parts and the coconut bread was a revelation when fried in butter. It all came together deliciously for a  Sunday brunch. I have since been toasting the coconut bread and having it for breakfast with banana.  I shall be making another batch next weekend.

The Salted chocolate and almond butter cookies (as pictured) are equally good.  Easy to make, scrumptious to eat and they last (if you have tremendous will power) for up to a week.

I have yet to try any of the yummy looking salads or dinner recipes but I will.  In fact, I am saving a recipe for slow cooked lamb shoulder with burnt garlic and shallots for just as soon as we can have friends to dinner again.

Caravan Coffee has been a fantastic London lockdown discovery.

Note: this is not a paid post, I simply love the product.