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Back Buzz - March 10, 2014

Steam Yard Coffee Company, Aberdeen Court, 95-101 Division Street, Devonshire Quarter, Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Recently a friend told me about a new coffeehouse that has opened in town off Division Street. On the first day of a long weekend Andrew and I headed into the city centre to do a couple of errands and then visit the Steam Yard Coffee Company. The cafe is set back off the street in a courtyard called Aberdeen Court, just across from the Frog and Parrot pub. I believe it's in the same spot that Jack's Records used to be before it went the sad way of 21st century record and book shops -- in other words, into extinction.

The coffee shop was opened by Nick Pears, who used to run the Motore coffee cart near Sheffield Hallam University, and Matt Cottrill. As we entered two friendly baristas greeted us, and there was some nice genuine blues and jazz playing (as opposed to Starbucks-style jazzak). The walls of the two small rooms are painted a good art-gallery white, and there's a bright orange door to the toilets which makes a pleasing accent. There's a distinctly 1950s retro rebel biker theme to the place, with denim motorcycle jackets, pictures of Steve McQueen, Marlon Brando, and Gregory Peck, and other objets d'art displayed on the shelves including a copy of the New York Coffee Guide and a large tome on the Bauhaus. I was unusually attracted to the sensual vintage motorcycle helmet, perhaps because it was open-faced. Keeping to the orange-accent theme there is also a vintage orange and silver Olympus Trip 35 camera.

As I was still a bit buzzed from the morning I ordered a single macchiato, served in a classic white cup, and Andrew had his traditional double macchiato, served in an orange cup. They were both presented with nice heart rosettas on top. The Pollards coffee is very nice, quite smooth but tasty. They're doing an excellent job, in my opinion. Andrew had a doughnut as well which was very light and pleasant.

The cafe also serves cakes, locally made sandwiches, toast with jam and peanut butter -- oh, and look: there are oranges in the cake counter! I keep being reminded of our own orange kitchen wall, so I guess I'm feeling quite at home here.

Related Links

• All about Motore Coffee, Nick Pears' first caffeine enterprise
• All about the colour orange (Empower Yourself with Color Psychology)
• Ten Things You Don't Know About Doughnuts (Time Newsfeed)