Focus on Friday has teamed up with The Knot to bring you some of the best coffee houses around the county.
As well as offering top refreshments, they are great locations for people to work remotely, meet customers, grab a quick drink for breakfast or simply relax at lunchtime, evenings or the weekend.
We’ve scoured Staffordshire and spoken to our joint community of readers for their top tips before brewing up this handy guide.
Let us know if you agree with the choices – and which ones you would add!
BEAR (venues in Stone and Uttoxeter)
Bear was conceived out of a shared passion for good coffee, good people and good times. Founded by lifelong friends, Craig and Michael, BEAR was first realised whilst the pair were playing around on an at-home espresso machine that Craig had picked up from a supermarket and installed in his Dad’s shed.
Inspired by Craig’s travels in Australia, paired with Michael’s adventurous Royal Marines background, they took on a derelict space at the top of the High Street in their hometown of Uttoxeter, and BEAR opened its doors in February 2016.
The brand has since grown to employ over 100 people in our physical stores, online store and Central HQ, and spans across the midlands and beyond!
Café Piccoloco (Newcastle-under-Lyme)
A speciality coffee and street coffee bar with an expanding following. Piccoloco threw open the doors to its Hassell Street café last November serving up a range of beverages, from hand-brewed filter coffee to classic cappuccinos, as well as an extensive food menu.
It is the brainchild of Jon Hill who has been trading from a mobile coffee bar parked on The Stones marketplace since February 2020. Jon teamed up with his son, Ben, to open the store after carrying out three and a half months of renovations.
The opening came on the back of Piccoloco being named Café of the Year at the inaugural LoveNUL Awards, which was organised by Newcastle-under-Lyme Business Improvement District (BID).
Bod (venues in Lichfield, Stone, Stafford, Stoke and Trentham)
Opened by Titanic Brewery, the bod café bars concept was first planned in 2017 and came to life in 2018 with the first bod café bar opening in Stafford.
The aim was to create a relaxing and comfortable environment where all the local community can come together, meet and socialise.
Important to Bod is using local suppliers. All of bod café bars have their beer sourced by local brewer Titanic Brewery from Stoke-on-Trent. Fresh produce is from local supplier Freshview Foods who are based in Newcastle-under-Lyme. Ground coffee comes from Chartley Coffee based in Stowe-by-Chartley just outside of Stafford and crisps come from Just Crisps, who are based just outside of Rugeley.
Fueled (Uttoxeter)
Situated in Carters Square at the centre of the East Staffordshire market town of Uttoxeter, Fueled is billed as the perfect location for you to stop off and relax. It prides itself on a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.
Featured in the Indy Coffee Guide, Fueled boasts ‘the best baristas in town’. Its speciality coffee is sourced from beans that can be traced and are ethically sourced and farmed.
Melbourne (Lichfield)
As well as serving a range of top specialities coffees, Melbourne works with the local community to rent space for private functions and events. Everything from art workshops and comedy shows are welcome, to people looking to arrange an off-site work meeting or get-together.
It also offers an art market, allowing local artists and crafter to sell their wares through the shop – items for sale include prints, cards, zines and t-shirts.
Spout (Leek)
Spout brewhouse is the uniquely designed sister cafe to Odeon Antiques on St Edward Street, Leek. The eclectic venue including a quirky beer garden, which opens up its scope for bigger parties.
Spout also uses HasBean coffee whose roastery is based in Staffordshire where they use some of the finest beans from around the world.
The coffee shop is known for its Red Giant blend which works well as an espresso or in milk-based drinks – although its blend changes frequently to ensure customers get to taste the best coffee from around the world.
The Glost House, (Longton, Stoke-on-Trent)
Whether it’s an escape from the office or a meeting with family and friends, The Glost House has become a haven for anyone looking to enjoy good food and drink in style.
Based at the Phoenix Works in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, it was launched out of a passion for simple, tasty, quality food and drink.
Owned by Ann and Martin King, The Glost House aims to serve up the right dish to hit the spot each and every time.
