Cute Coffee shop in Hexham
I love people watching and sitting with a cup of tea in a cafe is one of my weekly treats. There are plenty of coffee shops and cafes in Hexham but none as cute as Marketplace Coffee in the market place.
Marketplace Coffee is an independent little coffee shop next to Hexham’s covered market. Lots of people call in for takeout coffees but if you are lucky (like me) or patient (certainly not like me) then you might get the window seat with an amazing view of Hexham Abbey.
The vibe is cool (is that still the right word?) with jazz streaming in the background, great lighting, the gorgeous front window and simple furniture. I loved the woodwork painted in a blue/grey or is that duck egg blue (?) which stretched along a narrow area by the counter.
The focus here is coffee – you can buy fresh beans from small UK roasters. This was one of the reasons, I hadn’t called in before. Coffee has a weird effect on me (half an hour after drinking some, I feel like I am in the grip of a hangover!) and I had the impression that Marketplace Coffee was for coffee aficionados only so I was pleased to be served a very nice English Breakfast tea. I am not that particular about my tea and am quite happy to call into Costa but I must admit it was nice to have a properly brewed cuppa.
Snacks are available – filled croissants, toasties, flapjacks and banana bread. They also had gluten free options on offer.
The coffee on sale at Marketplace Coffee comes from a roastery in County Durham. Fika is a speciality coffee roastery based in Langley Park a few miles outside of Durham City. You can go and see how coffee is roasted at their unit on the Riverside Industrial Unit.
As well as coffee, you can buy hot notch chocolate from The Chocolate Society and cocoa from blendsmiths.
The staff were friendly and welcoming and if that window seat is vacant when I next pass, I will certainly pop in.
I don’t know if you can call corporate coffee shops chains cute but Cafe Nero in Hexham makes a good attempt at being cosy. Again, it is all about getting the window seat. The downstairs seating is fairly ordinary and there is always the possibility you will end up sitting right next to the toilet. Upstairs is spacious but the two armchairs in the window are the best seats in the house.
I haven’t managed to get them many times but when I do, I settle myself down for a decent stay. I really like Cafe Nero for breakfast. They do a very nice apricot pastry which is always warm and fresh. I also enjoy the porridge with almond butter and banana chips. I’m sure neither of these treats are particularly healthy but that’s not the point of coffee shops and cafes is it? Check out the rest of the menu here. The staff at Cafe Nero are very friendly and whenever I have gone in they are chatting to regulars which is always a good sign and it is heartening to see a corporate coffee shop working as a community space.
So if you are looking for a cute coffee shop in Hexham or a good seat with a view, Marketplace Coffee and Cafe Nero are good places to try.
