England · independent first
Exeter's independent coffee scene is small but genuinely committed to specialty, and a lot of it clusters along Fore Street and the West Quarter. Crankhouse Coffee roasts on a drum roaster in its 130 Basement cafe there, while Sacred Grounds in McCoy's Arcade and The Press House at number 132 keep the street busy with plant-based brunch and Triple Co Roast espresso. A short walk away, Alma on Bartholomew Street West has taken over the old 130 Basement site and built a filter-focused bar around rotating beans.
The city also has a strong roast-your-own streak. EXE Coffee Roasters serves what it roasts on Heavitree Road, 18g Coffee Roasters runs its Magdalen Road cafe off a Marsh Barton roastery, and Littlestone roasts named single-origin lots nearby. Cake and bakes are taken seriously across the board, from Crankhouse's cardamom buns and The Common Beaver's house bagels to the in-house baking at Hyde and Seek. Devon Coffee on Queen Street and 12 Bar near Paris Street round out a scene where almost every counter is independently owned.
Fore Street and the West Quarter are the heart of it, with Crankhouse Coffee, Sacred Grounds and The Press House within a few doors of each other. Alma sits just around the corner on Bartholomew Street West, and Magdalen Road has The Common Beaver and 18g Coffee Roasters.
Crankhouse Coffee roasts in its 130 Basement site on Fore Street, EXE Coffee Roasters roasts at its Heavitree Road shop, and both 18g Coffee Roasters and Littlestone roast at Marsh Barton. Others, such as The Press House and The Common Beaver, pour beans from named guest roasters instead.
Yes. Sacred Grounds in McCoy's Arcade is fully plant-based, with vegan waffles and cinnamon buns alongside its coffee. The Common Beaver and The Press House also list vegan and gluten-free bakes.
Several of these are roasters as well as cafes, so you can buy retail bags directly. Crankhouse Coffee, EXE Coffee Roasters, 18g Coffee Roasters and Littlestone all sell their own beans, and The Press House sells Triple Co Roast.
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