Member Article

Young business owner brings Australian coffee concept to Newcastle city centre

Sunderland-born businessman and coffee aficionado Nick Birss has returned to the North East, launching his own independent coffee company shop on High Bridge Street in Newcastle city centre.

After travelling to Australia for three years and learning his barista craft at a friend’s coffee company, Nick’s new venture - Laneway & Co coffee shop - takes inspiration from Aussie coffee culture, with the country’s coffee spots often found on small side streets or in alleyways known as ‘laneways’.

The young business owner commented: “They say, once you have a really top quality coffee, you never go back! You only have to travel to big cities around the world to see how important coffee culture has become to people’s daily lives, and that high quality doesn’t need to mean high prices..

“The independent coffee scene in Newcastle is growing fast, and the stalwarts have been very supportive of my start-up on High Bridge since we opened our doors in June.

“Within days, the likes of the guys from Pink Lane, Flat Caps and baristas from the Ouseburn Coffee Company came in to show their support – we all have the same passion and are on a common mission to change how customers consume coffee, and that is good for all of us.”

Laneway & Co serves the Allpress Redchurch blend and single origin coffee from London roasters Square Mile that change seasonally to showcase the world’s best growing regions as far afield as Malawi and Sumatra. With its single-serve hand-crafted pour over filter options being the most popular choice for true coffee connoisseurs.

Nick added: “Although we are all about the coffee, we’ve started to serve lunches with deals including homemade sandwiches, fresh savoury bites and cakes.

“The reaction has been great so far – we get everyone from those grabbing something between meetings to those who like to linger with their laptop or a magazine to enjoy the coffee shop experience throughout the afternoon. We open up at 8am to capture trade passing through as people make their way to work and are now opening on a Sunday too.

“Our location on High Bridge is ideal. It’s a real gem in the city, a thriving home to other independent and unique businesses, and being underneath Motel One means we see a set of new faces each day.”