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Independent Roasts in-house
Hot Numbers
◷ Gwydir Street (off Mill Road), Petersfield/Romsey end, Cambridge
Roaster House roast
Machine Sanremo Opera
Grinder Mahlkonig Peak
Full bean & machine data View →
England · independent first
Independent coffee & cake in Cambridge
Cambridge built its specialty coffee reputation on Mill Road and the streets around it. Hot Numbers opened in a former Victorian brewery just off Mill Road and now roasts its own beans for its city cafes, while neighbours like Urban Larder and Relevant Record Cafe gave the area its independent character. Walk a little further into the centre and you find Espresso Library pouring on a custom Slayer machine, Bould Brothers serving Colonna and Small's, and Novi pairing single origins from Frank and Earnest with brunch.
Cake is taken as seriously as the coffee here. Fitzbillies has baked its sticky Chelsea buns by hand on Trumpington Street since 1920, Aromi makes Sicilian cannoli and pastries fresh each day on Bene't Street, and Stir in Chesterton runs its own craft bakery alongside the espresso bar. Several of the cafes lean on respected regional roasters such as Butterworth & Son in Bury St Edmunds and Monmouth in London, so you can taste a real range of beans across a short walk.
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Coffee & cake in Cambridge, answered
Where is the best area for independent coffee in Cambridge?
Mill Road and the streets just off it are the heart of the independent scene, home to Hot Numbers' original cafe, Urban Larder, Relevant Record Cafe and Tom's Cakes. The city centre adds Espresso Library, Bould Brothers, Novi, Fitzbillies and Aromi within a short walk of King's Parade.
Which Cambridge cafes roast their own coffee?
Hot Numbers roasts its own beans, originally on Gwydir Street and now at its roastery in Shepreth, supplying both its Cambridge cafes. Most other independents in the city serve guest roasters rather than roasting on site.
Where should I go for cake as well as good coffee?
Fitzbillies on Trumpington Street is known for its Chelsea buns, Aromi on Bene't Street for Sicilian cannoli and pastries, Stir in Chesterton for its craft bakery, and Tom's Cakes on Mill Road for handmade cakes and biscuits.
Which cafes are good for brunch or working with a laptop?
Espresso Library on East Road and both Hot Numbers cafes have larger spaces and longer tables that suit brunch and laptop sessions, while Novi on Regent Street does a coffee-and-brunch service that turns into a bar later in the day.
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