Love proper coffee? Adore Yorkshire tea? Fancy a bagel? If your answer to any of those questions is ‘yes’, get on down to Raw Coffee.
Mill Hill is a buzzing hub of food and drink joy in Leeds city centre. Bundobust and Tharavadu take you on a tasty trek around India, The Head of Steam and The Moot Hall Arms serve up quality ales, but what about a proper brew? Enter Raw Coffee, the brand new speciality coffee shop from husband and wife team Anya and James Adams.
© Copyright Leeds-List 2024
© Copyright Leeds-List 2024
But how did it come about? “It was a little idea my wife had, she wanted to open a coffee kiosk and the idea just grew from there,” James explained. “When we were looking for a little unit we found a bigger unit and then it was like, ‘How can we fill the space up?’ Then I kind of came on board, I was in Sainsbury’s before this so my background is more retail so it was like how can I get on board? And that’s where the coffee roasting came in.”
They’ve taken over the former Sketch and Lox of Love hairdressers and turned it into a place that is truly Raw. It’s stripped right back to minimalist perfection, taking cues from Japanese coffee shops but also owner Anya’s time growing up in 1980s Poland, with polished concrete finishes from the counter to the walls and seats. Finished with plants, dark wooden furniture and their graffiti-style logo on behind the bar, it’s a 21st century coffee utopia.
© Copyright Leeds-List 2024
© Copyright Leeds-List 2024
But as good as it looks, it only really hits the spot if the coffee’s up to scratch – no problem there. They use their own carefully, ethically-sourced beans roasted in house, whether you want a latte, cappuccino or flat white. It’s not just classic styles though, this is a place for purists, with long blacks available alongside batch brews and hand brews, as well as coffee from Cheltenham’s Ritual.
Fancy mixing things up a little? You can’t go wrong with their matcha-based drinks, from the simple classic to a blueberry or a proper Yorkshire rhubarb twist. Wait, there’s more! Their chai lattes are a must, their loose leaf teas oh-so-refreshing and, this is our favourite of course, their cracking mugs of Yorkshire Tea will set you back a single, solitary quid!
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© Copyright Leeds-List 2024
If you prefer cold drinks to hot, you’re well catered for too. They have oodles of choice, from cold brew, nitro brew and iced coffees to a quad of smoothies, including the banana, coffee and oat Breakfast number. There are all manner of extras, so you can finish off your drink just the way you like it, whether it’s cream, vegan cream, syrup shots or even a CBD shot.
It’s not just drinks though at Raw Coffee. They also serve delicious bagels in six different forms. The Reuben is a corned beef and sauerkraut-led classic, while you can never go wrong with a pastrami-heavy New Yorker. The Syrian might just be our favourite, though. They bring together falafel, beetroot, hummus and spinach in one tasty bite perfect for lunch.
© Copyright Leeds-List 2024
© Copyright Leeds-List 2024
You can even sate your sweet tooth if you’re not hungry enough for bagel. Their pastries come from CAWA Bakery in Sheffield and the cakes are sourced from Martha, a Doncaster baker, whether you go for a croissant, Bakewell or cookie. And that’s Raw all in one. Stripped back to focus on quality food and drink, their laser-beam focus on quality produce means every visit promises only the best.
Raw Coffee, 10 Mill Hill, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 5DQ. It’s open from 7:30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm on Saturdays and 10:30am to 3pm on Sundays.
Cover image © Copyright Leeds-List 2024.
