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CoffeeFix Manchester

PostPosted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 9:52 pm
by grchif
First post, so go easy on me :)

Visited Coffee Fix in Gatley yesterday - finally a decent place in South Manchester to get good coffee at!

Great welcome. Serving Hasbean beans, Blake for espresso and Australian Skybury on Chemex. They have an Astoria 3-group, and a nice Anfim (Caimano?) doserless grinder, plus (I think) an SJ for the Chemex. Has only been open for a month and a week, so early days, but looked like reasonable business for a Saturday early evening. Very red decor - exactly Hasbean red, so I think they're in with Steve for a while - if they move supplier, they'll need to re-decorate...

I tried a doppio and a latte (2 quid each, not too bad). The espresso was lovely, exactly what I'd hoped for, nicely sweet and plenty of rich bold spicy notes and nuttiness - really very good, served with plenty of iced water and presented well on a wooden platter. Latte art was a pretty good tulip, possibly a little too much milk but I did ask for the larger cup. Banana flapjack and Earl Grey tea was good too, so I am told by the missus.

Great to find such a good place close by - really the first time I've been able to compare my shots with a 'proper' barista (turns out I'm.... ok. Ish. Sort of, on my best shots. Maybe.). I'd been aware of North Tea Power in the past but for some reason had thought they'd closed or weren't doing coffee - they apparently haven't, are doing coffee and are also serving Hasbean, so will be trying them very soon...

Not affiliated with them in any way, but wanted to give a shout out for them 'cos I want them to stay around - finally a decent coffee place I can recommend to friends around Manchester! Would be interested to hear others thoughts and comparisons to other places nearby, too.

Cheers,

Colin

Re: CoffeeFix Manchester

PostPosted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:16 pm
by orrinoconnor
grchif wrote: Very red decor - exactly Hasbean red, so I think they're in with Steve for a while - if they move supplier, they'll need to re-decorate...



Welcome to the Madhouse Colin!

Excellent first post. I'm sure we will all go easy on you; Nobody really bites around here,,, accept Cakey, and only if your mistaken for a Muffin!

Hasbean Red,,,I'mmm,,,, I suppose the red may be OK as long as you don't have to ware a football shirt to get in! :lol:

Ray

RE: Re: CoffeeFix Manchester

PostPosted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 12:52 am
by CakeBoy
Welcome Colin. Great first post :D

PostPosted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 9:42 am
by GreenBean
Hi Colin, welcome to TMC. :D

PostPosted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:34 am
by Ed
Welcome Colin.

Have you got a post code for Coffee Fix please?

PostPosted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 9:58 am
by grchif
Can't find one actually - I think there was one on the Hasbean ipad/iphone app, but I'm not near it at the mo.

It's at 80 Church Road, Gatley, Stockport: http://www.wearecoffeefix.com/

Colin

PostPosted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 4:58 pm
by Ed
Thanks Colin.

I might have a look at that in the near future.

Big thumbs up

PostPosted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 5:41 pm
by psychomansam
A slightly belated mini-review here, but i visited coffee-fix a few weeks ago.

I was visiting Manc for a couple of days so i stopped by, parked up and left my car just around the corner at the train station, catching the train into Manc overnight which worked really well, and gives anyone a good excuse to visit.

The owner/barista Gareth is very friendly and equally serious about coffee. This shop is very much worth a visit and will get you the best coffee available for a long way in any direction.

Hasbean blend house espresso or a couple of hb single origins available by chemex, hario-drip-with-shiney-new-coava-metal-filter(the same ones you can get for aeropress), or cafetiere.

I had an excellent shot, capp (very good micro-foam), and a couple of good drips. Particularly enjoyed the hario/coava combo, and thought it worked really well. Very similar sort of cup to a swissgold one-cup.

Felt the chemex paper filter was a bit weak, but I normally say that, so happy to accept it's my preference.

Service was great, with re-usable glass bottles of water from the fridge provided with drinks.

Didn't have a cafetiere and discussed them with Gareth, who explained that they walk a line between great coffee and keeping the locals happy. By the people in the shop, I'd say they're doing it well. They're still in the early stages, getting things ticking over and wanting to upgrade some bits and bobs - hopefully after that they might move into even more brewing methods, but it all depends on demand in what isn't a central area.

Bad things - preground decaf - they want more grinders!

Really liked the map on the wall with tasting notes of the coffees and strings linking them to their place of origin

Other stuff - I had a very nice homemade flapjack, there was a wide variety of teas / infusions, and the kitchen was turning a busy trade, so I assume the food is just as good as the cake.

Well there's not much criticism there, so I'll say that I think the shop-front is garish at best

All in all, I wish I was a local. Keep up the good work Gareth!