Week beginning June 22nd - Frozen the Movie

It is a Dad joke that goes back at least a year, perhaps more. I will say to my daughter at any given time of day "Layla, can I ask you a question?" She replies, "Yes Daddy"

I sing, "DO YOU WANNA BUILD A SNOWMAN!??" She looks at me with a 'you're so sad Daddy but I love you' face and then we start singing one of the most famous songs of the last year. 

Frozen the Movie hit our household about a year ago, and we now have the movie, the soundtrack, the dresses, the shoes, the wand, we even went to Frozen Singalonga at the Price Charles Cinema. Nearly every night at bath time we play the soundtrack. This is all fine. It's enjoyable. Our 2 year old Christian also loves it.  I do the piano riff at the start, he does the knocking on the door part. "Elsa?"

It will also forever be associated with the opening of Eastcastle street, because in all the planning, worrying, stressing, thinking, laying awake at 3 am with the thought processes going around and around and around in your head, in the background there was Frozen. Constantly. On and On and On and On.

It seriously hardly ever stops. The worst is the 3 am to 5 am laying awake at night. The best is bath time when we can sing it loud. 

Now that the dust has settled and we are settling into the flow of work it is a bit funny to look back on. Perhaps you also have children who watch and listen to this movie constantly and it is in your head too, perhaps we should start a support group.

Frozen. The Movie.

Eastcastle Street. The Second Store. 

Espresso. Required.
Check it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1ZHetiuRb0

Please enjoy the menu for this week, as we will enjoy bringing it to you. It is featuring some lovely Summer favourites. 

Great Titchfield Street Menu

Breakfast

Traditional bircher muesli with Greek yoghurt & rhubarb & raspberry compote (v, nuts, milk) 4.00

Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses, Greek yoghurt & rhubarb & raspberry compote (v, nuts) 4.00

Fruit salad with pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passion fruit (v, gf) 3.90

Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 5.00

Ciabatta roll with avocado, omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 5.00

Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90

Cinnamon and Raisin Toast 2.50

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery

French butter croissant 2.00

Pain au chocolat 2.50

Almond croissant 2.80

Baked Treats

Sweet muffin: Apricot and almond (v, cereals, milk) 2.50

Savoury Scones: Tomato, mozzarella, basil (v, cereals, milk) 2.50

Friand: Violet Crumble  (v, gf, milk, nut)  2.50

Super moist chocolate brownies (gf) 2.50

White chocolate blondies 2.50

Portuguese tarts 2.00

ANZAC cookies 2.00

Almond and custard slice 2.80

Banana bread 2.50
Raspberry and coconut slice 2.50 (v, gf)

Lunch

French retro baguettes 5.30

Ham, caramelised red plum, tomato chutney, camembert, rocket. (cereals, milk)

Slow roasted tomato, red pepper, green pesto, manchego cheese, spinach.( v, cereals, milk, nut)

Foccacias 5.50

Tuna, spicy sweetcorn mayo, spring onion, cheddar cheese, spinach. (fish, cereals, milk, egg)

Leek fritters with avocado, greek yoghurt sauce, gruyere cheese, rocket.(v, cereals, milk,egg)

Salads: 5.50/6.90

Grilled salmon with  roasted new potato, green bean, broccoli, dill, watercress, tartare sauce.(fish, egg, mustard)

Caramelised fig, apricot, red onion, walnut, goat's curd, pomegranate dressing, rocket.(v, gf,  milk, mustard, nut)

Black beans, roasted red pepper, courgette, chimichurri dressing. (ve,gf)

Tart: 4.40 or 8.00 with salads
Sweet potato, zucchini and tomato pie

Eastcastle Street Menu

Breakfast

Fresh Paleo bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote (v, nuts) 4.00 

Paleo granola with shredded apple soaked in orange juice (gf, ve, nuts) 4.00

Fruit salad with pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes and passion fruit (gf, v) 3.90

Smoked paprika brioche, calvados potato mash, medium baked egg, grilled courgette and onions with crème fraiche and chives (cereal, milk, egg) 5.00

Maple cured bacon in a sourdough wrap with own made smoked ketchup, mont d'or cheese on a (milk, egg) 4.90

Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90

Croissant with smoked salmon, chopped egg, tomato and sprouts (cereal, milk, egg, mustard) 5.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery

French butter croissant (milk) 2.00

Pain au chocolat (milk) 2.50

Almond croissant (milk, almonds) 2.80

Baked Treats

Muffins - Peach and mango (v, cereal, milk, egg) 2.50

Savoury – Pumpkin and pomegranate (v, cereal, milk) 2.50

Chocolate brownies (gf, milk) 2.50

ANZAC cookies (nuts) 2.00
Ladybird tarts (v, milk, eggs) 2.50

Banana bread (milk) 2.50
Matcha Powder Slice 2.50
Portuguese Tarts 2.00
Raspberry and coconut slice 2.50 (v, gf)

Lunch
Flat Bread Wraps 5.00
Sourdough flat-bread with grilled aubergine, courgette, red pepper, spiced tomato mayonnaise, and rocket (cereal, egg, mustard) 5.00

Baguettes 5.30

Sourdough baguette with pancetta, tomato, parmesan, fennel and rocket (cereal, milk)
Sourdough baguette with crispy duck with plum sauce, cucumber, camembert and spinach (cereal, milk, soya)

Salads 5.50/7.00

Salmon baked in manuka honey with new potato, roasted beetroot, wood sorrel, wild watercress and mint yoghurt dressing (gf, fish, milk)

Roasted chickpeas, peanuts, sesame seeds with fresh tomato, tossed in pickled green tea leaf (ve, gf, peanuts, sesame)

Grilled corn, ground chilli, lime, feta and pumpkins seeds (v, gf, milk)

Savoury Tart 4.40 or 8.00 with salads
Chorizo and cocoa scotched eggs (cereal, egg, mustard, milk)

Weekend Menu - Eastcastle Street Only

Salads 5.50/7.00

Seared beef, gem, shredded carrots and beetroot, avocado, mix seeds & burn orange rosemary dressing ( gf, dairy, seeds )

Roasted butternut, cinnamon and sugar infused roasted apples, goats cheese, rocket, nuts & mustard honey dressing( gf, v, nuts, dairy )

Blanched heritage carrots, caramelised onions, mix sesame seeds & spice cider dressing (gf, vegan, seeds, chilli )

Savoury Tart 4.40 or 8.00 with salads

Deep fried cream potato, vegetable, herbs topped with aioli sauce (gf, egg)

Week beginning June 15th - It's been a while, but we're back....(we never left, we've just been busy)

Five months. Five months it's been since I last posted here, after religiously posting nearly every week for the past five years, all of a sudden, it went quiet for five months. Well not quiet really, just very, very, busy indeed.

But here we are, Kaffeine on Eastcastle, or K2 to the K1, the little brother to the big sister, the Fresh Prince to the Original Gangster, has now been open for three months, after opening our doors on March 9th.

We are very, very happy, the site looks and is amazing, it's all working as we expected (pretty much), but saying that it has not been without difficulty or opening snagging problems either. We have had some wonderful media attention, some fantastic industry attention and have been very warmly welcomed into the neighbourhood by our lovely neighbours, as well as being congratulated by many of our wonderful regular customers who have made it in to visit and support us. You can check out a great review of Eastcastle on the world's best coffee site 'Sprudge' here.

http://sprudge.com/london-gets-a-second-dose-of-kaffeine-75790.html

I was hoping to keep the blog updated as we went along, but obviously that did not happen. I was warned by another very well known and experienced coffee person with 2 cafes of his own that opening the second one is actually much harder than the first one. I slightly disagree, as my memory of the first one, whilst slightly blurred now, still burns strong as being very, very hard and stressful indeed.

The difference is, and very well known publican who owns seven venues outside London told me this once, is that 'you will never have the strength of mind or passion or enthusiasm or love that you had for the first one'. The other difference of course is I am six years older and have 2 children.

But yes, it is hard, it is stressful, it is a lot of hours, and so it bloody well should be. Opening any business, let alone a reasonably small cafe in London, is a very, very serious undertaking. It is not to be taken lightly. This is real. People rely on you, you rely on people, your family relies on you, this is your reputation and of course it is probably (though may not be in some cases) all your money. So keeping a blog updated was pushed to the background, as we focussed quite rightly on getting all the small details right that you need to focus on when opening a business.

So now we have a great list of topics for future blogs, as well as keeping these pages updated with current or future goings on. Here are a few:

Kaffeine the Cookbook: Yes we have a cookbook deal signed, watch this space, so exciting
Recruitment : This could go on for ever. Seriously
The Victoria Arduino Black Eagle: Probably the best espresso machine in the world, and we have one.
Mythos Clima Pro: A grinder that compliments and works with the best espresso machine in the world, and we have one too.
Suppliers: Why looking after them in the first place helps you in the long run
The Bar: The design points of our new workspace and why we did it
Fitzrovia: It's all happening in one of the greatest suburbs of the greatest cities of the world
Balance: Life, work, family - how important it is
Shots Per Kilo: Being able to compare two shops, two machines, two grinders and 6 baristas
Classes: The opportunity to be taught espresso or latte art on the Black Eagle
The Cricket: It's Ashes season & again we are in the Harris Gardens but also in the Media Centre
Latte Art Smackdown: This year we hope to bring it in September, at Eastcastle, on the Black Eagle.
Allergies: A very serious issue, and how we deal with it.
Frozen The Movie: The soundtrack and why it will always be associated with opening Eastcastle
Guest Espresso: Why we stopped doing it
Cold Brew Coffee: Our version for summer
Australia: A brief holiday we went on in April

More: There are probably more topics, I just cannot think of them now

So here we are, back and working hard on all aspects, aiming to bring espresso drinks, loose leaf tea, delicious and creative food with hospitable service to 2 different, but very similar venues in Fitzrovia.

Thank you for being so patient with us and also for supporting us. We look forward to looking after you. Please find below the menus for both stores and please enjoy.

Great Titchfield Street Menu

Breakfast

Traditional bircher muesli with Greek yoghurt & rhubarb & raspberry compote (v, nuts, milk) 4.00

Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses, Greek yoghurt & rhubarb & raspberry compote (v, nuts) 4.00

Fruit salad with pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passion fruit (v, gf) 3.90

Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 5.00

Ciabatta roll with avocado, omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 5.00

Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90

Cinnamon and Raisin Toast 2.50

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery

French butter croissant 2.00

Pain au chocolat 2.50

Almond croissant 2.80

Baked Treats

Sweet muffin: White nectarine and coconut (v, cereals, milk) 2.50

Savoury Scones: Courgette and ricotta (v, cereals, milk) 2.50

Friand: Violet Crumble  (v, gf, milk, nut)  2.50

Super moist chocolate brownies (gf) 2.50

White chocolate blondies 2.50

Portuguese tarts 2.00

ANZAC cookies 2.00

Almond and custard slice 2.80

Banana bread 2.50
Raspberry and coconut slice 2.50 (v, gf)

Lunch

French retro baguettes 5.30

Ham, slow roasted tomato, avocado, herbed cream cheese, rocket

Grilled yellow courgette, roasted red onion, red pepper pesto, mozzarella, spinach. (cereals, milk, nut)

Foccacias 5.50

Pancetta, caramelized apricots, brie, rocket. (cereals, milk)

Roasted aubergine, tahini sauce, goat's cheese, spinach.(cereals, milk)

Salads: 5.50/6.90

Roasted chicken, savoy cabbage, mixed pepper, carrots, bean sprouts, peanut dressing, peanut, sesame seeds. (nuts, fish sauce, seeds)

Grilled stone fruit with red onion, mozzarella, pecan nut, basil, watercress, balsamic reduction. (v, milk, nut, vinegar)

Green beans, fresh peas, broad beans, black rice, spring onion, lemongrass, lemon, chilli. (ve, gf)

Tart: 4.40 or 8.00 with salads

Quinoa, pancetta and thyme stuffed aubergine with pomegranate and buttermilk dressing

Eastcastle Street Menu

Breakfast

Fresh Paleo bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote (v, nuts) 4.00 

Paleo granola with shredded apple soaked in orange juice (gf, ve, nuts) 4.00

Fruit salad with pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes and passion fruit (gf, v) 3.90

Smoked paprika brioche, calvados potato mash, medium baked egg, grilled courgette and onions with crème fraiche and chives (cereal, milk, egg) 5.00

Maple cured bacon in a sourdough wrap with own made smoked ketchup, mont d'or cheese on a (milk, egg) 4.90

Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90

Croissant with smoked salmon, chopped egg, tomato and sprouts (cereal, milk, egg, mustard) 5.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery

French butter croissant (milk) 2.00

Pain au chocolat (milk) 2.50

Almond croissant (milk, almonds) 2.80

Baked Treats

Muffins - Plantain, coconut and passion fruit (v, cereal, milk, egg, nuts) 2.50

Savoury – Courgette and feta (v, cereal, milk) 2.50

Chocolate brownies (gf, milk) 2.50

ANZAC cookies (gf, nuts) 2.00

Banana bread (milk) 2.50
Matcha Tea Power Cake 2.50 (V, GF)
Portuguese Tarts 2.00
Raspberry and coconut slice 2.50 (v, gf)

Lunch
Flat Bread Wraps 5.00
Sourdough flat-bread with grilled tofu with avocado, peanuts, salsa and cos (ve, soya, cereal, shellfish, peanuts) 4.50

Baguettes 5.30

Sourdough baguette with pancetta, grilled flat peach, camembert, basil and rocket (cereal, milk) 5.30

Sourdough baguette with grilled peppers, courgette and butternut with mozzarella and pesto (v, cereal, milk, nuts) 5.30

Salads 5.50/7.00

Sticky pork with mango and red cabbage coleslaw (gf, df, fish, celery)

Wild rice, baked sweet potato, grilled pineapple, fresh peas, feta and lime and cinnamon dressing (v, gf, df, milk) 

Fine yellow beans with arrow grass sauce and paprika pumpkin seeds (ve, gf, mustard)

Savoury Tart 4.40 or 8.00 with salads

Spinach and salami buns with red chilli mayonnaise (cereal, egg, milk, nuts)