Cafes / easton
Baraka Community Cafe – cafe review
Baraka Community Cafe, located between Easton Leisure Centre and Easton CE Academy, is a real community effort. Founded by Jen Donnellan and run by mostly volunteers who may face barriers to work, there isn’t just a great ethos behind this cafe, but also great food.
With food donated each week by FareShare South West and coffee from Wogan Coffee in St Jude’s, the menu changes regularly and every item is available at a low cost. There is also a ‘pay it forward’ scheme, so no one has to go hungry.
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Drinks start at £1 for soda, tea, coffee and espresso – the soda is even made on site and half a dozen flavours are available, from raspberry to lemon.
Cakes and biscuits are also £1 and the most expensive order on the menu – two drinks, a side, two main meals and a treat – is just £8.
The menu is ever-changing. Photo by Lowie Trevena
Ordering a soya flat white, cup of tea and a lemon and cardamom shortbread, the cosy lighting and mismatched seating make the cafe a perfect nook to cosy up in. While the rain lashed outside, families, freelancers and friends sipped on drinks and chatted to Jen and the volunteers.
The homemade biscuit was beautifully crumbly in texture, with the cardamom adding a perfect hint of warming spice. The tea and flat white arrived with flowerpot bases in place of saucers, and at perfect drinking temperature.
A cup of tea, lemon and cardamon biscuit and soya flat white cost £4. Photo by Lowie Trevena
A sip of the flat white took me quite simply took me aback. The fantastic brew of coffee combined with the skill of the volunteer who served it, made for a drink that would make anyone question why Costa and Starbucks exist when such beautiful, silky smooth coffee is available at Baraka.
At just £2 for an exquisite coffee, and having received such kind and friendly service, this is a cafe that will make you reconsider ever visiting a chain again.
Photo by Ellie Pipe
Baraka Community Cafe, Easton Christian Family Centre, Beaufort Street, Easton, BS5 0SQ
www.facebook.com/pg/BarakaCommunityCafe
Main photo by Lowie Trevena
Read more: New community cafe to open in the heart of Easton
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