Allow me to set the scene. It is a Tuesday morning. I am seated at my desk writing a ghastly piece of coursework. My hands are in pain from working all weekend. I say to myself, as I have many times before, that I need a superb hand cream or I will lose them. Like a good student, I did my research and found the cream of my dreams at House of Fraser.
Grace (my car); B (my housemate) and I went to Leamington. Sadly, my chosen cream was out of stock.
Dejected, I searched for something to do, having driven and paid for parking. I remember something I was told by one of the Di Maria brothers (read more about them here). Marco recommended a coffee house to me, Procaffeinate.
Little did I know, I would be bowled over by everything he predicted.
Procaffeinate is located in a less than inviting area of Leamington, but don’t let that frighten you. This is a safe haven from the horrors of the outside world. You are greeted with a smile, you take a seat and your coffee comes to you piping hot. The espresso I had was in the top three which I have had in this country. Closely tied with the espresso in Coffee Genius in Carlisle and that of Rising Cafe (read more about it here (https://cedricsuggests.co.uk/rising-cafe-coventry/).
But Procaffeinate has more to offer than great coffee. The fridge, pictured to the left, doubles as a door to a clandestine underground bar.
Whilst down there, I had the great honour of speaking to The Matriarch, mother-in-law of the owner and force behind the delicious food served here, which I shall sample in greater depth on my next visit. She told me all about Alex, who runs Procaffeinate. Alex used to run the Central Midlands Region of Starbucks and had been an employee of the American firm for some 13 years beforehand.
The decor downstairs is exceptional. There are Harley Davidsons propping up tables; there are deactivated guns as door handles and there is even a ray gun turned into a light bulb. I was awed by the ingenuity of the ensemble. Although I arrived in the morning when the bar wasn’t open, it left a strong impression and a desire to return before long.
Procaffeinate is run by expert makers and consumers of coffee. You feel the joy in each and every cup. I spoke with each member of staff and consistently got the impression that there is a real happiness in the work they do.
Making coffee is an art form, and one which I believe is deeply respected in Procaffeinate.
Opening the fridge door, one comes face to neon sign with some excellent advice. I shall leave you with it. In these tough times, it bodes well to remember that we are in charge of the choices we make.
