It’s been well over a year since I ventured into northeast London in search of Terrone & Co and the Irrepressible Edy Piro. Back then, I paid a visit to the Terrone & Co stall at the Village Green Market in Hackney Downs. A few weeks later, Edy, the man behind Terrone & Co, decided to rationalise the number of pop-ups and stalls he was running and the Village Green stall was no more. Hopefully the visit I paid to Terrone & Co’s original venue at Netil Market on the last Saturday before Christmas won’t provide a similar kiss of death…

Occupying a convenient pitch right at the entrance to Netil Market, which is on the south side of Westgate Street, between the railway lines and London Fields, Terrone operates out of an old container (similar to the one that Beany Green uses on the South Bank). Although the operation is strictly takeaway (so bring your own cup), there are a couple of tables should you want to take the weight off your feet and, as well as coffee, Terrone also serves a wide range of spirits from its well-stocked shelves. Beware though: Terrone & Co only opens on Saturdays.

April 2019: Sadly Terrone at Netil Market is no more, although its espresso bar, Sottoscala, is still going strong.

You can read more of my thoughts after the gallery.

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Terrone & Co has been at Netil Market since December 2012 and has overcome various calamities, including the original container being burnt out in a fire, so I suspect that it will have survived my visit. There’s not a great deal to Terrone, the doors of the container opening to reveal a simple counter, with a small selection of cakes to the fore and a two-group La Marzocco on the left-hand side. There’s also a bulk-brewer doing single-origin filter, available from a flask at the front if you don’t fancy espresso or really are in a hurry. Otherwise, it’s the usual espresso-based drinks, including macchiatos and piccolos as well as the ubiquitous flat whites.

Behind the counter, the container has several racks of shelves filled with various interesting bottles, the contents of which are used to mix the various cocktails on offer, plus Corretto (an espresso shot laced with alcohol of your choice). This is all served under the market’s alcohol licence. If you don’t fancy that, there’s also Joe’s Tea and hot chocolate.

All the coffee is roasted by Terrone in Italy on a refurbished 1950s Vittoria machine (I’ve previously written about Edy’s journey into speciality coffee). The coffee on offer regularly changes; I had the last of the Geisha, which I’d first tried as an espresso at the Glasgow Coffee Festival a couple of months before, where Callum, a long-time collaborator of Edy’s, pulled me a shot.

Back then it had been the highlight of the festival, a lovely, fruity espresso, but at the same time, well-balanced and incredibly smooth. Terrone’s usual barista at Netil Market is the wonderful Leo, but during my visit, he’d been joined by Callum, making a fleeting visit from Cambridge, where he’s reading English Literature. Callum suggested I tried the Geisha as a flat white and once again, it didn’t disappoint, blending well with the milk and creating another smooth, well-balanced drink. The milk, by the way, was superbly steamed, holding its pattern right to the bottom of the cup.

I can’t speak to the alcohol, although during my visit, being just before Christmas, there was mulled wine, which was doing a roaring trade. I also suspect that this being Terrone, anything else that’s served will be of the same high quality as the coffee! If you’re ever in the area on a Saturday, it really is a must visit.

If you’re looking for a Terrone fix on a more regular basis, you can always visit Terrone’s espresso bar, Sottoscala, which is next to Pizza Pilgrims in Carnaby Street’s Kingly Court.

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