Gourmet Coffee Bar & Kitchen, Crewe

A flat white, made with Clifton Coffee Roasters' Suspension Espresso and served in my HuskeeCup at Gourmet Coffee Bar & Kitchen on Platform 6, Crewe Station.I’ve been visiting Gourmet Coffee Bar & Kitchen at Crewe station for many years, picking up flat whites to go in my various reusable cups as I’ve changed trains, usually on my way to/from my Dad’s, so I thought it was about time I wrote it up. Gourmet Coffee has been going since 2007 and it’s been at Crewe since 2011. It now boasts coffee bars at 14 stations, mostly in the Midlands and North West, with outposts in Cardiff and Wrexham. There’s also a coffee bar on a Wrexham industrial estate.

Crewe has two Gourmet Coffee Bars, a smaller one on Platform 6 and the larger one on Platform 5, which I usually visit. Both have a similar offering, with a standard espresso-based menu and a range of sandwiches, crisps, cakes and pastries if you’re hungry. After years with Union Hand-roasted, Gourmet Coffee recently switched to Clifton Coffee Roasters.

July 2020: Both Gourmet Coffee Bar & Kitchen kiosks have reopened at Crewe station. You can see what I made of the one on Platform 5 when I visited in early August.

You can read more of my thoughts after the gallery.

  • The end of the station buildings between Platforms 5 (left) & 1 (right) at Crewe Station...
  • ... home to the Gourmet Coffee Bar & Kitchen, pretty much a must-visit when at Crewe.
  • The tables in front of the Gourmet Coffee Bar from my visit yesterday afternoon.
  • If you're wondering, this is where it is in relation to Platform 5. And that's my train!
  • If you look carefully in this picture (from earlier on), you'll see the other coffee bar...
  • ... which consists of a much smaller kiosk across the tracks on Platform 6.
  • Back to Platform 5 and most of the food is on the right-hand side, along with the crisps.
  • This is followed by the till, in the centre, while you collect your coffee on the other side...
  • ... of the well-stocked cake dispay cabinet.
  • The menu, meanwhile, is on the back wall of the container.
  • Mind you, it didn't always look this. Here it is four years ago in 2016...
  • ... and here's my Therma Cup, giving it the once over in 2017...
  • ... while also from 2017, here's my Ecoffee Cup with a similar view.
  • Back to the present day. There's decaf in the second grinder, while the main espresso is...
  • ... Clifton's Suspension Espresso, which I had in my flat white yesterday afternoon.
  • And here it is, in my HuskeeCup...
  • ... which is where I'll leave you, admiring the latte art.
The end of the station buildings between Platforms 5 (left) & 1 (right) at Crewe Station...1 ... home to the Gourmet Coffee Bar & Kitchen, pretty much a must-visit when at Crewe.2 The tables in front of the Gourmet Coffee Bar from my visit yesterday afternoon.3 If you're wondering, this is where it is in relation to Platform 5. And that's my train!4 If you look carefully in this picture (from earlier on), you'll see the other coffee bar...5 ... which consists of a much smaller kiosk across the tracks on Platform 6.6 Back to Platform 5 and most of the food is on the right-hand side, along with the crisps.7 This is followed by the till, in the centre, while you collect your coffee on the other side...8 ... of the well-stocked cake dispay cabinet.9 The menu, meanwhile, is on the back wall of the container.10 Mind you, it didn't always look this. Here it is four years ago in 2016...11 ... and here's my Therma Cup, giving it the once over in 2017...12 ... while also from 2017, here's my Ecoffee Cup with a similar view.13 Back to the present day. There's decaf in the second grinder, while the main espresso is...14 ... Clifton's Suspension Espresso, which I had in my flat white yesterday afternoon.15 And here it is, in my HuskeeCup... 16 ... which is where I'll leave you, admiring the latte art.17
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You’ll find the two Gourmet Coffee Bar & Kitchens practically opposite each other on Platforms 5 and 6, both towards the southern (London end) of their respective platforms, near the stairs to the footbridge. For various reasons, I usually change trains at Crewe on my way back home (ie going to London) rather than when I’m coming from it. This means my trains are typically departing from Platform 5, so it’s this Gourmet Coffee Bar that I end up using. Platform 6 also has shorter opening hours (it closes at 18:30 during the week and mid-afternoon at the weekends), so on the odd occasion I have changed trains on the way up to my Dad’s, it’s invariably been closed.

Of the two, Platform 5 is the larger, with a wide, open-fronted container at the end of the main station buildings, facing the stairs to the footbridge. It’s very handily placed for southbound services from Platform 5, as well as Platform 1 (from where I’ve caught trains to Manchester Airport before now) and local services from Platforms 2, 3 and 4, all of which terminate directly in front of Gourmet Coffee Bar.

There’s a handful of tables on the broad concourse in front of the container. The precise number/configuration has varied over the years, but if you have time, it’s an excellent place to wait for your train, sheltered from the elements by the station canopy. In contrast, Platform 6 has a much smaller kiosk, tucked away at the side of the station buildings, facing the main track. There’s a separate grab-and-go food cabinet off to the side, and despite the small size, it too boasts a couple of tables.

I’ve had many flat whites over the years, utilising my full range of reusable cups. Most were made with coffee from Union Hand-roasted and I can honestly say I’ve never had a bad one. Recently, Gourmet Coffee has moved to Clifton Coffee Roasters, its Suspension Espresso, a naturally-processed Brazilian from Daterra, in the hopper. I had this in my most recent flat white, an excellent, sweet, smooth coffee, which went really well with the milk. The coffee’s so good, it’s even worth changing trains for (and trust me, I’ve done it on more than one occasion!).


December 2020: Gourmet Coffee Bar & Kitchen, Crewe has won the 2020 Best Coffee Spot near a Railway Station Award.

CREWE RAILWAY STATION • 16 NANTWICH ROAD • CREWE • CW2 6HR
www.gourmetcoffeebar.co.uk +44 (0) 1978 660700
Monday 05:00 – 21:00 Roaster Clifton Coffee (espresso only)
Tuesday 05:00 – 21:00 Seating Tables
Wednesday 05:00 – 21:00 Food Cakes, Sandwiches
Thursday 05:00 – 21:00 Service Counter
Friday 05:00 – 21:00 Payment Cards + Cash
Saturday 06:30 – 18:30 Wifi N/A
Sunday 07:30 – 18:30 Power N/A
Chain Regional Visits 4th February 2020

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