2022 Awards – Best Takeaway Coffee

A lovely flat white, made with a naturally-processed Brazilian single-origin and served in my HuskeeCup at Lily London in Guildford.The second shortlist in the 2022 Coffee Spot Awards is the “Best Takeaway Coffee” Award, won last year by Lily London, Guildford. It recognises those places which, often braving the elements, still produce an excellent cup of coffee. This includes coffee carts, coffee stalls, those Coffee Spots which are so small that they only serve takeaway coffee and those Coffee Spots where I regularly get my takeaway coffee (even if they offer a regular sit-in option).

It was the case that I didn’t feature many takeaway places on the Coffee Spot, but these days, now that I travel extensively for work, I often have to grab a coffee to go during a break in the meeting (always remembering to bring my own cup with me!). As a result, I’m finding lots of great takeaway places out there, serving some really excellent coffee.

You can see the shortlist after the gallery.

  • The coffee menu, strictly to go, from George Howell in the Boston Public Market.
  • The Espresso Room, Great Ormond Street, providing coffee to go (or to sit outside).
  • The Visit Coffee & Eatery was my go-to spot for pre-meeting coffee in Berlin.
  • Blooming Skull Coffee, a takeaway coffee shop on The Wirral, selling plants as well.
  • Statying on The Wirral, the Adams + Russell coffee shop offers retail plus coffee to go.
  • A new name for an old favourite: the Canopy Coffee container on London Square.
  • Where it all started for San Francisco's Spro: a trailer down in Mission Bay/SOMA.
  • Marathon Coffee, Chelsea, another tiny to-go spot, this time in New York City.
  • For the Good of the People, Euston, making travelling by Avanti West Coast bearable.
  • Houndstooth Coffee, another pre-meeting coffee spot, this time in Downtown Austin.
The coffee menu, strictly to go, from George Howell in the Boston Public Market.1 The Espresso Room, Great Ormond Street, providing coffee to go (or to sit outside).2 The Visit Coffee & Eatery was my go-to spot for pre-meeting coffee in Berlin.3 Blooming Skull Coffee, a takeaway coffee shop on The Wirral, selling plants as well.4 Statying on The Wirral, the Adams + Russell coffee shop offers retail plus coffee to go.5 A new name for an old favourite: the Canopy Coffee container on London Square.6 Where it all started for San Francisco's Spro: a trailer down in Mission Bay/SOMA.7 Marathon Coffee, Chelsea, another tiny to-go spot, this time in New York City.8 For the Good of the People, Euston, making travelling by Avanti West Coast bearable.9 Houndstooth Coffee, another pre-meeting coffee spot, this time in Downtown Austin.10
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There are ten Coffee Spots on the shortlist this year, all listed in order of publication.

Details of the coffee menu at George Howell, Boston Public Market.George Howell, Boston Public Market

George Howell is a legendary coffee roaster in his home state of Massachusetts. I’ve featured his coffee bar in the Boston Public Market before, but this year I was back, taking a coffee to go from the new, improved coffee bar, enjoying it sitting out in the sun across the road on the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

 

The front of The Espresso Room, its striking green façade comprising of a single glass-paned door, with a window to the left.The Espresso Room, Great Ormond Street

This is the original Espresso Room, a legend of the London speciality coffee scene, which has been on my list for a very long time. 2022 was the year I finally got to visit and it didn’t disappoint. A tiny spot which made it onto this year’s Smallest Coffee Spot shortlist, it mostly serves coffee to go, although you can sit outside on various benches opposite the famous Great Ormond Street Hospital.

A espresso in a wide-brimmed white cup with a V on the front (for The Visit).The Visit Coffee & Eatery

I was in Berlin for work in May and while The Visit, just down the street from the hotel where we were meeting, offers a full sit-in service, it was my go-to place for coffee. I would pop over before my meeting for a flat white to go, and be back during the coffee breaks for more great coffee!

 

Enjoying a lovely flat white in my HuskeeCup, made with the Red Bank Penny Rock single-origin espresso while sitting outside Blooming Skull Coffee in Bebington.Blooming Skull Coffee

Blooming Skull Coffee on The Wirral  is both a plant shop and coffee bar. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a small seating area inside, but these days it only serves coffee to go, with no plans to go back to providing seating. A multi-roaster, it  has coffee from some of the country’s best roasters on batch-brew filter. Blooming Skull has also been shortlisted for this year’s Best Neighbourhood Coffee Spot Award.

The front of a bag of the Tierra Madre, a washed coffee from a Women’s Co-operative in Nicaragua, roasted for espresso by Adams + Russell in Birkenhead.Adams + Russell Coffee Shop

Staying on The Wirral, Adams + Russell is a long-established coffee roaster in Birkenhead, although its entry on today’s shortlist is for the attached shop. As well as being able to buy brewing kit and bags of coffee from Adams + Russell’s extensive range, you can also get coffee to go from the espresso machine in the room next door.

 

The interior of Canopy Coffee, London Square, a cosy coffee cabin/container, with the counter on the left and shelves full of goodies lining all three walls.Canopy Coffee, London Square

Earlier this year, Canopy Coffee took over running the coffee container on London Square in Guildford. A convenient location (when I lived in Guildford), Canopy Coffee serves tasty treats, toasted sandwiches and coffee to go (espresso-based and batch-brew filter) to the local office workers, although it’s also a destination worth visiting in its own right. Canopy Coffee is also on this year’s Best Coffee Spot near a Railway Station shortlist.

Detail from the A-board outside the Spro Coffee Lab trailer in Spark Social SFSpro – Mission Bay/SOMA

This is where it all started for San Francisco‘s Spro. Part of Spark Social SF, a large outdoor food truck park, beer & sangria garden and event space, Spro has an impressive output, given that it’s literally a trailer, serving from a window at one end. The menu is identical to Spro’s Mission Dolores/Castro coffee shop. Although it’s takeaway only, you don’t have to go far and can sit anywhere in Spark Social.

Details from the mural above the take away station in Marathon Coffee on 6th Avenue, local artist. Hannah Benson (@hanbenz_art) showing people drinking coffee on the street.Marathon Coffee, Chelsea

Marathon Coffee was a chance find on the 10-minute walk from my hotel to the office when I was working in New York City in September. Another tiny spot, which made it onto the Smallest Coffee Spot Award shortlist. it serves coffee to go from a concise espresso-based menu, plus batch-brew filter. Unusually for New York, Marathon uses an out-of-state roaster, Providence’s Bolt Coffee.

For the Good of the People's logo, taken from the menu board at the stall at London Euston Station.For the Good of the People, Euston Station

My association with For the Good of the People has been going for as long as I’ve been doing the Coffee Spot. This is the new location for the old South Bank coffee stall and is a welcome addition to the forecourt of Euston Station, where I stop for coffee on my way through London to/from North Wales. Unsurprisingly, For the Good of the People has also made it onto this year’s shortlist for the Best Coffee Spot near a Railway Station Award.

A classic espresso in a white espresso cup with an outline image of the State of Texas on the side.Houndstooth Coffee, Downtown Austin

The final entry is another work-inspired choice. Houndstooth Coffee in downtown Austin was around the corner from where I was working. Although offering a large sit-in area which I made use of on a couple of occasions, it was my go-to spot for a pre-meeting flat white to go, while I was also a regular visitor during coffee breaks.

 


The winner will be announced on Monday, 2nd January. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out the other 19 Coffee Spot Awards for 2022.


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4 thoughts on “2022 Awards – Best Takeaway Coffee

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