Most of you that are reading this will know that we're pretty good at making shoes and boots in Northampton. In fact, that's a lie - we make world-class quality shoes in Northampton, Northamptonshire and we're very proud of it! However, away from this heritage, Northamptonshire also has some other very notable organisations and events such as being home to Premiership Rugby Union Team - Northampton Saints, and Silverstone Racetrack - current home of the British Motor Racing Grand Prix and has been since 1948. Something else worth mentioning at this point is that the co-discoverer of the DNA molecule structure, Francis Crick, was born and educated in Northampton - quite an important find.
Known worldwide for the famous history and heritage detailed above, there are also gems hidden all across the county, in the back streets and far out into the countryside. Entrepreneurship seems to thrive here. Maybe it's because we're located in the centre of England, between the country's two biggest cities of London and Birmingham. Being in such close proximity to these two busy, thriving cities inadvertently rubs off on the town and helps push it forward in its very own 'Northampton' way.
Tucked away on Angel Street in the recently recognised 'Cultural Quarter' of Northampton town centre, you'll find the strikingly bold hand-painted shutters of Yellow Bourbon Coffee Roasters and shop. Just down the road from the Northampton Shoe Museum and just over the road from the Derngate Theatre, Yellow Bourbon has firmly bedded into its surroundings and will soon be celebrating their first year of business. It's become the go-to place for coffee connoisseurs due to its wide variety of beans thoughtfully sourced from around the world. The huge flag out front regularly changes to represent the current blend of choice in-store jumping continents from Africa to South America.
Fact-finding and research trips have been made by shop owner Steve and his team so they can verify the sourcing and quality of every blend they stock. With this level of expertise, they're able to offer something unique at Yellow Bourbon. They import the specially selected beans themselves then roast them on site upstairs. The finished coffee is then sold downstairs directly to the customer by the cup or if you'd prefer you can take a box home for daily use. They've also been known to keep the doors open after office hours and serve up coffee-inspired cocktails such as Espresso Martinis and Negronis. The entire operation really is the true definition of 'handcrafted with love' and draws very clear comparisons with our processes at Crown Northampton.
Since opening in 2017 Yellow Bourbon now wholesale to several coffee shops nationwide and have also moved into overseas export with a growing client base overseas. From the moment you first come into contact with Yellow Bourbon, you're struck by their strong graphics and brand image. Whether it be their simple yet well-executed shop front, their various YB packaged blends or the accompanying natural tote bags sold in-store, everything has a sense of entrepreneurial spirit that adds to the local scene but is not limited to it.
Inside, the space is small yet well coordinated; with wood, greenery and a strong healthy and welcoming smell of roasted coffee setting the scene. For our shoot on location, we chose sneaker styles with complementary colours such as the Upton Wholecut in White Leather Gum, the Upton in Red Suede Black and the Abington Toe Cap in Brown Suede Gum.
Yellow Bourbon have carefully selected the materials they use and stick to handmade methods of production that mirror those of Crown Northampton. Their forward thinking and collaborative business model is proving to be a positive force in Northampton which will undoubtedly continue into the future.
More details of their Northampton shop and locally roasted coffee can be found here along with the images below.
