Shrewsbury’s speciality coffee scene has come a long way since I visited in September 2013, when the delightful Shrewsbury Coffeehouse was the only game in town. Since then there have been several notable newcomers, particularly in 2015, when today’s Coffee Spot, Ginger & Co. Coffee, opened its doors on Princess Street. I am, by the way, indebted to the talented Cherie Jerrard (if you haven’t seen her coffee shop sketches, you should definitely check them out), both for the invitation to make a return visit Shrewsbury and for drawing my attention to Ginger & Co.

Ginger & Co. sits on the ground floor of a lovely old building, occupying an L-shaped space, with seating at the front and the counter along the top part of the L. Beyond this, up a couple of steps and through a narrow doorway, is the back room, a long, thin space, flooded with natural light from the transparent ceiling.

Ginger & Co. has a standard espresso-based menu, plus a single-origin on pour-over from Herefordshire’s Method Roastery. This is supplemented by loose-leaf tea from Brew Tea Co, along with an interesting selection of sandwiches and cakes, all prepared in the “espresso-sized” kitchen at the back.

You can read more of my thoughts after the gallery.

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Ginger & Co. Coffee opened in July 2015, the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Sam & Kate, who largely fitted it out themselves. A generous-sized spot, particularly when you include the back room, it’s nonetheless a collection of smaller, more intimate spaces. The recessed doors conveniently leave you near the bottom of the counter with a busy seating area to your right (a selection of five two/three-person tables, two of which are in the window), while to your left, there’s a five-seat window-bar.

The counter occupies the rest of the space in the front, running along the left-hand wall, with a retail shelf opposite it on the right, followed by a garden bench against the wall, leaving room (and somewhere to sit) for those waiting to order, or to collect their takeaway drinks. Sandwiches and cake are temptingly at the front of the counter, followed by the till, grinders and espresso machine, while the brew-bar/tea-station is at the back of the counter, behind the espresso machine.

If the front looks too busy/cramped, then head for the back, two steps leading up and through a doorway in the back wall into a long, thin room, tapering slightly towards the back. Four-person tables flank the door to left and right, while a long, thin table runs down the centre. At the back is another four-person table, while the seating is completed by a narrow bar on the right, with a stunning view of the wall. The kitchen’s also back here, behind a door on the left, so you’ll be treated to plates of cakes and sandwiches being brought out to the counter.

The coffee’s from the (comparatively) local Method Roastery in Herefordshire, with a seasonal espresso blend, single-origin pour-over and Peruvian decaf. I had a V60 of the El Salvador, which duly arrived in a lovely glass jug, accompanied by an equally lovely cup and saucer, just how I like it. The coffee itself was smooth and well-balanced, holding its own as it cooled.

I followed it with an espresso, which arrived with a glass of water (bonus points for that). Deep in conversation with Cherie, I drank it without really noticing, except at the end, when, after the final mouthful, I realised it was a lovely, well-balanced espresso of the sort that I adore, neither too fruity nor acidic.

Keen to try all three, I grabbed a bag of the decaf to take on my travels. Since one of my regulars is a Peruvian decaf from Volcano Coffee Works, I wanted to see how it compared. So far, it’s looking good!

I rarely pass comment on tea and particularly not on things such as matcha lattes. However, as Cherie had not one, but two of these strange concoctions, declaring them the best she’d ever had, I thought I should mention it.

It was 11(ish) when we arrived, so naturally there was cake. All Ginger & Co.’s food, cake included, is made on-site or sourced locally. I was tempted by the Jaffa Cake cake, but plumped for a lemon drizzle slice, while Cherie was good and had a pair of power balls. These were surprisingly good (I exchanged a quarter of my slice for half a ball), full of dense, chewy goodness, while the lemon drizzle was lovely: light, moist and very lemony.

You can also see what local food-blogger The Happy Boho made of Ginger & Co.

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