“Grow Coffee House is an independent coffee house established in July 2019 with a passion for creating a space where everyone feels comfortable.” In my opinion, it is the best place for students. This ‘In the Spotlight’ focuses upon the quaint coffee house on South Street, only a stone’s throw away from the quay. Opened 4 years ago, Grow Coffee House is a family-owned business that works with other local small businesses to ensure their carbon footprint is low and their individuality is high. They sell coffee beans from different roasteries online, such as Oddkins, Littlestone, and Planet Java, each of which has its own tasting notes, so you can make barista-worthy coffee at home. They use the Little Stone blend in-house. To help the environment further, their ‘eco ethos’ minimises recycling and waste to ensure their business doesn’t hurt the planet.
The coffee house is brilliant for all weather, with outdoor seating offering covered and uncovered options, as well as a cosy atmosphere indoors. If you have special dietary requirements, they offer vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options available daily, as a standard part of their menu. The place is also dog friendly, so if your family friends visit and bring their furry friend, a visit is a must.
To help the environment further, their ‘eco ethos’ minimises recycling and waste to ensure their business doesn’t hurt the planet.
The overall atmosphere of Grow Coffee House is quaint, cosy, and welcoming for all. Fairy lights and lamps are dotted around to make a warm glow, with gentle indie playing. It is fitted with sofas, unique side tables, and plants, like something straight out of ‘Gilmore Girls’. One wall has a mural, and another has guitars hanging, hinting at their sister business ‘Life Guitars’ which sells second-hand guitars to music lovers, especially after a caffeine hit next door. They also have another branch in Cullompton with more open space to enjoy coffee, open on weekdays.
A coffee house review wouldn’t be complete without a visit, so my housemate and I paused our unpacking and took a trip down to South Street for lunch and a catch-up. We both opted for toasties, mine with perfectly stringy mozzarella and pesto, and we shared a slice of banana bread with homemade cinnamon butter, which may be one of the loveliest things I have ever tasted! We finished the afternoon off with refreshing ice lattes, complete with the option for alternative milk at no extra charge, a luxury for many.
The overall atmosphere of Grow Coffee House is quaint, cosy, and welcoming for all
In the evening the coffee house turns into a bar, serving two-for-one cocktails on a Friday between six and eight. The bar is decorated with hanging plants and quirky glasses, as well as water during the hot days. Grow Coffee House can also be booked privately with the bar and live music for anything from a small gathering to a large event. During the year they offer different seasonal treats, a ruby hot chocolate on Valentine’s Day, and pumpkin spiced drinks during Spooky Season.
Whether you want a quiet place to study with a warm cappuccino or want to have lunch with a friend, Grow Coffee House is a brilliant place to visit and a bucket-list-worthy coffee house.
