The Importance of Independent Coffee Shops
I became a coffee drinker around 5 years ago. The only coffee I had really been exposed to prior to that were coffee chains like Dunkin’ or Starbucks, and I didn’t really have a desire to drink coffee. Tea…yes. I was and I am still a big tea drinker, but I didn’t really have coffee until I dove into New Jersey Isn’t Boring and started giving coffee a real chance.
I don’t know if I stress enough how important it is to support local businesses…but it’s SO important. Independent coffee shops and cafes are homey, unique, and have options for sale you may not see anywhere else. Some are nestled in adorable downtown areas that I love to explore. I have become a fan of locally roasted coffee, lattes, espressos, cold brew, etc.
I was recently asked to be a judge at a “Latte Art Throwdown”. I was an impartial judge considering I haven’t been to any of these establishments previously.
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The throw down, which featured Hunterdon County coffee shops, was held at Black River Roasters in White House Station. Other coffee shops that competed were Scout’s Coffee Bar & Mercantile (High Bridge), Early Bird Espresso & Mercantile (Frenchtown), Bucks on Main (Lambertville) and Factory Fuel Coffee Co. (Flemington).
The throw down was set up bracket style, and two competing baristas would show us their latte art expertise.
We judged the baristas on balance and symmetry, execution and line clarity, and creativity and difficulty.
A little information on each shop…
Black River Roasters, our host for the evening in Whitehouse Station, is an artisan coffee-roasting company that specializes organic and Fair Trade certified coffees as well as ultra-premium coffees sourced from small-yield cooperatives and estates. Their cafe is in the same building as their roasting facility so you can see them roast while enjoying a cup of their coffee!
Scout’s Coffee Bar, located on Main St in High Bridge, is a family-owned business that is committed to serving the Hunterdon County community with good coffee, good food, and a mercantile filled with handmade products. The owners, Nicole & Adam, named the shop after their dog, Scout…and I love their logo. In addition to their coffee and espresso drinks, they also serve loose leaf teas, creative lattes, and breakfast and lunch offerings.
Early Bird Espresso, located on Bridge St in downtown Flemington, is a coffee shop and market designed to celebrate artfully made espresso and quality crafted products. They even set up tastings to sample new and limited release brews. They offer a little bit of everything on the coffee side, including Cold Brew and Nitro Brew on tap, and delicious pastries.
Bucks on Bridge, also located on Bridge St but this one is in downtown Lambertville, features coffee, teas, espresso drinks, ice cream, milkshakes, and pastries.
Factory Fuel Coffee, located in Stangl Factory in Flemington, is a community based coffee shop that serves a full range of espresso-based and brewed Counter Culture coffees, chais and teas, and out-of-this-world pastries. Factory Fuel Co. is a hub for the creative community, hosting open mic nights, storytelling sessions & more.
In the end, it was Nash Anderson from Early Bird Espresso who won the bragging rights of winning this first ever competition!
In the end, although it was fun to judge this competition it also stressed the importance of seeking unique coffee experiences at local coffee houses. This was just a taste of four of Hunterdon County’s establishments, imagine this stretching out statewide!
Starting Next Week I will be working remotely one day a week at an independent coffee shop/cafe and will give you in an insider view of the location (a la my Diner Reviews). If you have a recommendation on where to visit, please email info@newjerseyisntboring.com and put “Coffee” in the subject line.
