Leeds loves coffee. In fact, so far this summer the City’s coffee shops have been positively swarming with queues of thirsty, iced-coffee crazed locals, students and commuters hankering for a caffeine hit in whatever form they can get it – matcha or otherwise.
Now a new spot has commandeered our attention – and for good reason. Grounded & Co on Belgrave Street has had a complete revamp recently and we are here for it.
Grounded & Co now boasts a serene and stripped-back Scandi-style drop-in with all-day appeal.
Intrigued to see what all the fuss was about – we toddled on down with wide, hopeful eyes and expectant bellies and were met with a whole host of fabulous options.
Of course, traditional coffee aficionados can breathe easy: the place is stuffed with barista gadgets and you will find expertly crafted flat whites, cappuccinos even chai lattes here – but those on the matcha hype are also in for a particular treat.
As part of Grounded and Co’s summer speciality range, the offering includes the new mango and strawberry cloud matcha – light, fruity and refreshing.
Now personally, I don’t quite have the sweet tooth to match some of my friends, so for me the mango option was perfection – an authentic, juicy mango taste (not a given with store-purchased lattes, I’d argue, some of which are more syrup than fruit) which balanced out the natural bitterness of the matcha superbly. My partner enjoyed his usual dairy iced latte and I can confirm this was also expertly balanced.
We happily had the chance to chat to the manager of Grounded and Co – Nuno – who explained that he is very particular about ingredient sourcing; always choosing local where possible, and, for the coffee, he said, it had to be Echelon, a company known for their quality beans and rich flavour.
The food here, I’d wager, is soon to be famously good. Nuno, with his Portuguese roots, has infused some homestyle warmth into the menu, with brunch options like the Portugese loaded breakfast sandwich. Think bacon, sausage, fried egg, fresh ciabatta, all rounded off good and proper with a rich Portuguese-sauce for a serious flavour boost.
Another highlight for us was the fresh focaccia sandwiches which are available for breakfast and lunch. Grounded & Co source their focaccia from the Leeds Bread Coop so you know you’re onto a winner with these. The focaccia was satisfyingly soft and pillowy and the fillings super generous. We opted for the chicken and pesto – which was bursting with juicy, tender chicken breast. It was, quite frankly, a challenge to stuff the whole thing into your mouth, the portions were that stacked. But how can we complain about that? Sterling stuff all round.
Food aside, the upstairs area is dedicated to vintage toys, local art a fully-operational vinyl station and a plentiful supply of board games.
Come the afternoon, fine wines and beers are available at the bar, so this place is the perfect all-day drinking and dining option if you’re stuck for somewhere wholesome and fun to take your friends.
Grounded and Co already offers free yoga sessions every Monday at 12 noon and are looking to introduce live music sets in the daytime through to the evening as they expand.
With community set to be more of a focus in the future, we can’t wait to see what’s in store for these guys…..
Grounded and Co is open every day, 9.30am – 5pm, except Friday when opening hours are extended: 9.30am – 10pm.
Photography by Amy Mortin.
