In London I have found several of those coffee houses operating based on passion, respect and dedication. Suddenly - a couple of days ago – I found one coffee place without a house. It lives and succeeds on the street. A single but dedicated soul, a canister full with water, a professional two-group espresso machine and a cart built by father and son, all these provide high-quality coffee from Monday to Friday each week, known as the Brewed Boy.
Brewed Boy, Coffee in the Streets of London (April 2011)
Such coffee stands, although without sitting arrangements, do provide our communities with many things for which coffee-houses have been famous for the last couple of centuries in various continents and dozens of countries. They could provide quality of life, conversation, street and human warmth and - of course - pleasure. The Brewed Boy Rob certainly does.
The idea of street coffee brewing is however nothing new. It dates back to the 18th century and was an important contribution to the coffee culture in general. Coffee was for a long time a privilege for the high-society. It was unavailable to the average folk, until the increasing number of street coffee brewers filled the streets of various European cities with the new aroma. The masses were seduced and started drinking.
Street Coffee Vendor in London (around 18th Century)
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