Category: Graham’s Guides

Three Sisters Coffee Shop and Kitchen (Fulwood) | Graham’s Guides

Yay, at last, a good local independent coffee shop.

Graham’s Guidelines* Rating (1 to 5)
Coffee5*
Food4* (see note)
Conversation5*
People Watching3*

Some months ago we were delighted to hear that one of our favourites – Three Sisters in Penwortham – were in the process of opening a second outlet within easy reach of our house.

There are several coffee shops a short distance from our house, but they are all corporate ones – 3xC and 1xSB. I don’t like the SB coffee roast, never have. The C coffee roast is OK, but it’s only OK. I can’t recall the last time I went to the SB, even though I pass it on my morning walk regularly. I reluctantly visit one of the Cs every couple of weeks.

I prefer an independent coffee shop, one that understands coffee, if they roast their own that’s even better.

Three Sisters in Penwortham is only 6 miles away, however, it is on the other side of Preston, making 6 miles a journey of more than 20 minutes drive. In the preceding sentence “more than” is a very important phrase, Preston is not designed for people who want to go from one side to the other, at any point and without warning “more than” can be “double” or even, when the M6 is closed “triple”. To put it more succinctly – getting to Penwortham is regularly a faff.

This last weekend it was the glorious open day for Three Sisters Coffee Shop and Kitchen in Fulwood.

Sue and I went on Saturday morning, and I went again on Monday morning.

The coffee was wonderful; there own roast. The cakes selection fabulous; the carrot cake lovely. The custom steady.

As you can see from the pictures they’ve created a great space to sit and relax, and also work. As well as the room in the pictures, there’s also a more enclosed quieter room further back. While I was there on Monday morning it wasn’t so busy that I felt the need to retreat into the back, but it’s nice to know the option is there.

There are several small businesses in the area and some came in while I was there, all of them enthusiastic about the new option available to them. Hopefully this results in even more custom for them.

They are doing a progressive opening, with drinks and cakes for now – lunch options and their famous cinnamon swirls on a Saturday will follow at a later date.

I really want this place to succeed. The lack of a decent coffee shop in the area has been something that has irked for quite a while. I will be back, C will see even less of me now.

Following our trip on Saturday a neighbour visited on Sunday and simply text “10/10 🥰”.

Three Sisters Coffee Shop and Kitchen
159 Garstang Rd,
Fulwood,
Preston
PR2 3BH

https://threesisterscoffee.co.uk/

Three Sisters (Fulwood)

Header Image: The view from my table, there’s another room beyond this.

More? The Artisan Bakery, Staveley | Graham’s Guides

Graham’s Guidelines* Rating (1 to 5)
Coffee5*
Food5*
Conversation5*
People Watching3*
Graham’s Guidelines for More?

Well, here we are with my very first Graham’s Guides.

If you are expecting pictures of food, sorry, I don’t do pictures of food. Go to the web site you’ll see plenty.

If you are expecting technical details about the food, again, sorry, these posts are really about my feelings about a place. You’ll have your own feelings.

Also, I don’t do comments about “value for money”, it’s such a subjective notion. What I’m willing to pay for a really good coffee may not align with your idea of value.

This morning Sue and I awoke with a clear diary and fine weather, something that hasn’t happened at the same time for a little while. We knew the weather was going to turn later, so headed out first thing.

As there was just the two of us, we thought we’d grab a bit of something on the way at one of our favourite places. There are several favourite places that we could have chosen, but recently we’ve loved dropping into the Mill Yard in Staveley where More? The Artisan Bakery has become a repeat visit.

Today was about simple, yet wonderful, delights – a good coffee and an excellent pastry. For me an almond croissant, for Sue a plain croissant. I didn’t ty the plain croissant, so can’t comment, but this is the second time I’ve had the Almond Croissant and both times they were a delight. This isn’t a small delicate pastry, it’s more like a second breakfast. Crisp almonds on the outside, a creamy almost paste on the inside and delightful flaky pastry that is flaky but doesn’t feel the need to explode the moment it encounters a mouth.

The coffee is from True North Coffee which is a sister business to More? I meant to look up what the blend was but forgot so can’t give details. I’m not sure I like it when coffee is described, like wine, by relating it to various other flavours, but I get why people do it. I know what I like in a coffee, I’m not sure I could describe it other than to say that this was a very enjoyable brew. I’m a plain coffee drinker, I take it black and can’t understand why anyone would want to mess with the flavour by adding various syrups and milk concoctions. A good black coffee should have a full flavour that isn’t too bitter, or too smooth. It should be strong, but not too strong. It should linger on the pallet in a good way. I think as I write these posts that I might need to develop my explanation of good coffee, but that’s all you are getting for now.

Although it’s almost in the Lake District, More? isn’t situated in a quaint little slate cottage, it’s in a former Bobbin Mill so is more Industrial Chic, set amongst a set of other businesses. A good café should have an atmosphere, there needs to be people, good service, and something that makes you want to come back. Despite the industrial chic More? always has a good group of people and the service has been excellent every time we’ve visited which has been a few. I like it when a cafe has a mixed group of people, it says something about its appeal. I like to guess what people have been up to and what their plan is for the day. I guess that today was a combination of people who had already been for a run, people planning a walk with the dog, family people with a baby taking a break from doing the Saturday jobs and people, like us, on their way into the Lake District for various adventures.

There’s ample free parking, and you can normally park quite close, which fitted in perfectly with our plan to drop in and go elsewhere. As you enter the Mill Yard More? is at the back.

Sometimes when I go walking, I like to go a bit upmarket with my lunch and More? has provided some of the best packed food I have ever tasted. The Katsu Chicken sandwich I picked up last time was wonderful.

It’s a favourite and we will be back.

More? The Artisan Bakery
Middle of the Mill,
Staveley Mill Yard,
Staveley Cumbria
LA8 9LR.

Header Image: This is Tarn Howes where we started our walk today. A topic for another guide? Perhaps.

Graham’s Guides – any interest?

I’m pondering doing something a little different here.

We recently had someone doing work at our house and when we told them we were going out one evening he said: “You are proper social butterflies you two. I wouldn’t know where half the places you go are.”

At the weekend we were talking to a couple who had recently moved to the area and they were picking our brains on things to see and do. Many of the places we mentioned weren’t places other people had mentioned.

The same occasional content will continue, but in addition to this content I am wondering whether you might be interested in hearing about some of the places I/we like to go? As someone who likes alliteration the idea of Graham’s Guides seemed perfect. What do you think?

I have one request though? I’ll tell you, as long as you don’t tell too many other people. Is that a deal?

Header Image: This is the truely beautiful Buttermere which I’m sure will appear in a guide at some point. Taken at the beginning of the week.