The Coffee brewing moguls Ouseburn Coffee Company (OCC) not only have the Newcastle coffee crown, they have an added string to their bow – The Harvest Canteen.
In a leafy terrace in Jesmond, the ever so stylish Harvest Canteen sits resplendently amongst high end shops and hair salons. As you pass, or in my case park, the wafting aroma of fresh coffee hits you so you know you are in store for something interesting.
We arrived at Harvest Canteen early on the first Saturday of 2016 and after the drive from Durham, we were thankfully rewarded with a parking space right outside and no wait for a seat – result!
On my previous visits, it was pot luck to snag a table in amongst the oh so hip and trendy parents and hungover students. The scrubbed wooden floors, mismatched furniture and stark white walls is just so very on trend.
Maybe a bit cliché but it works incredibly well for the OCC brand and Harvest Canteen. Nothing unnecessarily fancy – just high quality. When you do what you do well, you don’t need gimmicks do you?
With a small but well thought menu, we ordered our breakfasts and warmed ourselves up with some coffee. Sitting in the back, we could smell the fresh tomato soup on the hob bubbling away for the days service. Fresh ingredients are key here at Harvest.
Being a creature of habit, I went for the avocado smash with feta & lemon on toast (£6) and my dining companion went for the poached eggs and prosciutto ham (£8.50). Moderately expensive for what you get, but it is what it is. A relatively short wait later we were tucking in to our tasty treats. The set up for the food prep is alongside the main counter and not in a dedicated kitchen, so they understandably can run a little slow. I’ve seen them inundated with orders for poached eggs as they just kept on coming out – on and on. I guess it’s a sign it’s always good!
Presented simply, the focus of the food is pure, wholesome and clean. We were absolutely set up for the day! As breakfasting out of the house is getting so popular now in Newcastle, we are opting for it more as it means we can get the same ‘date’ feel before a manic day and thanks to the popularity, we aren’t just forced to have greasy fry ups!
If you want to visit, my advice is go early!
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