Bright orange accents pop against the otherwise industrial styling of chipboard and navy tables at NORTH. Simple. Bold. Much like the offering, there is nothing superfluous. Each item on the menu has been hand-picked for excellence from specially chosen suppliers.
“All the cheeses are from Provisions in London and the meat comes from Sunday Charcuterie in Suffolk. The baked items are from Peaberries in Burnham on Crouch,” says owner, James Wall. He tells me this as I slowly demolish a rather large slice of burnt basque cheesecake, garnished with a fruit compote of his own making. It’s so delicious that I almost zone out…
On the open shelving across from where we’re sitting is a selection of deli-style ingredients that would liven up any dinner party. James recommends the tinned ‘confit de canard’ and I’m instantly intrigued. I scan the multitude of wine bottles on display; red, white, orange (every one of them organic) and wonder which would be best paired with it. James would know. After all, you don’t win ‘Best Bar in the World’ awards without knowing a thing or two about booze… James has a 22-year history of running high profile bars up and down the country, including the Hawksmoor restaurant bar in Spitalfields and the Milk & Honey members’ club. Opening a place of his own was a natural next step.
“The idea behind NORTH has evolved over time. From a bar to a wine shop, then to a coffee shop, and eventually to all three. When we moved here 5 years ago we struggled to find somewhere that felt like ‘our space’, so we’ve built one of our own,” James says. He calls it ‘a little slice of London’ and that’s exactly how it feels. The kind of central hub that has you covered all day: Meet for the run club (Wednesday’s 8am) then stay for a coffee. Catch a friend there for a quick bite at lunch, that turns into a wine and then a cocktail. Stay til 6pm. Stay for a wine tasting! Or if it’s ‘Shelf Price Thursday’ you can drink with no corkage… Seems rude not to.
For more information about tastings and events at NORTH, follow their instagram or better still, pop in. There’s always a good reason to.
78 Broadway
Leigh-on-sea
Essex
SS9 1AE
E: northcoffeeandwine[at]gmail.com
www.northcoffeeandwine.com
insta: @north_coffeeandwine