Whether you're arriving in Nottingham by train or shopping there's a good chance you will stumble across a 200 Degrees coffee shop. Eight years after opening the first overlooking Old Market Square, the Nottingham-born business is celebrating its third cafe in the city centre.
The new arrival in Milton Street, opposite Victoria Centre, brings the total number of cafes across the UK to 17. Taking into consideration home delivery and wholesale, the popular brand's reputation continues to grow far and wide on land... and sea on the Royal Navy warship, HMS Queen Elizabeth.
An officer tasked with find a good quality coffee for the crew's caffeine fix, knocked on the door of 200 Degrees. "He was a first officer who had been tasked with getting some good coffee, so we've been been around the world now," said Rob Darby, 200 Degrees CEO and co-founder, who confessed that he starts the day with a cup of tea at home before moving on to a black americano and a latte later in the day.
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Add to that to a consignment of coffee to scientists in the Antarctic and you could say 200 Degrees have pretty much got it covered "at all ends of the earth." The new shop used to be a branch of the Halifax bank and removing the cash point left a huge gap in the façade so they had to get creative. "We had to block it up and cash machines, when you take them out, leave a massive mess so we've put a fake door in it with a whole load of fake business names and doorbells - one has my name," said Mr Darby.
The location is one of the busiest sports in the city centre. "If we are going to have three [in Nottingham], it feels like a good place to be. I think we can comfortably sustain three. This is in the heart of retail with Victoria Centre and next to Clumber Street, which is very busy."
As Nottingham's pavement cafe culture continues to thrive, there's seating for 15 outside, with plenty of opportunity for people watching while sipping on a cup of the Brazilian Love Affair house coffee with some seahorse latte art. Inside has space for 65 customers, who will be in no doubt that they're walking into a 200 Degrees coffee shop with the same trademark features of the cosy red glow of the faux fire, exposed brickwork, subdued lighting and an A-board outside with a humorous saying.
Nottingham's love affair with 200 Degrees began in 2014 when the first coffee shop opened at Flying Horse Walk in 2014, two years after a roastery launched in Meadow Lane. A second opened in Carrington Street 18 months later. So what makes it stand out from numerous other independents and national high street giants in the city centre?
Mr Darby said: "I think people love the fact we control our product from the beginning with the roasting. We have a real passion for serving a great cup of coffee every time. There are maybe some companies that are more focused on speed and the numbers game, whereas we're really focused on the customer and the quality.
"The fact that we train people to make coffee, we're really engaged in maintaining quality and helping consumers enjoy their coffee at home with our training courses. Maybe it's the fact we offer coffee in all areas of life - you can buy online to have it delivered at home, you can have it in your office. We've always wanted to try and offer coffee wherever you drink it - that's one of the goals of 200 Degrees."
The company's six barista schools - including one at the coffee shop in Flying Horse Walk - continue to thrive. In fact they are busier now than they were pre-Covid. The company's expansion across the Midlands and north of England in cities including Birmingham, Lincoln and Liverpool with 200-strong workforce, shows no signs of stopping.
"We're in conversations in places like Chester, we're talking about maybe a second one in York and talking to some landlords in Manchester. We have one in Manchester but obviously it's so much bigger than Nottingham - you could imagine that would be good for five or six in the end."
And Mr Darby didn't rule out heading south, with talks underway in Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. "We don't want to geographically go too far too soon because that spreads your management and makes things a little bit less efficient but we will head south. It's slowly, slowly bit by bit.
"We've always tried not to get carried away. We love coffee and only do things if we think we can do them well. I think it could go a long way," said Mr Darby, who has always worked in hospitality and previously ran Ye Olde Salutation and Cucumara. "Coming back from what was a pretty tough couple of years, we feel we're on a good path now and long may it continue," he added.
