Matt Parkes
Goldhawk Road’s first speciality coffee shop is open for business
‘We’ve been open eight weeks and I took my first day off yesterday.’ Matt Parkes of Swallow Coffee Shop on Goldhawk Road, smiles. ‘Mind you, I was at home doing paperwork and I called in twice. It’s inevitable when you’re passionate about a business.’
With its stylish exterior, Swallow is a distinctive addition to the neighbourhood. ‘I’d been wanting to open an independent coffee shop for a few years and there wasn’t one on Goldhawk Road, ‘says Matt. ‘I walked past this building – I only live five minutes away – saw it was empty, rang up and that was that.’
Matt’s ethos is to ‘go the extra mile’ with excellent coffee and delicious fresh food, snacks, cakes and pastries (including vegan and gluten-free options). ‘Our coffee from Ozone is superb as is our unhomogenised Brades Barista milk. We also serve a wide range of teas and freshly baked goods.
‘We take pride in creating a relaxed environment,’ Matt continues. ‘Our experienced baristas, Jo and Ayesha, are welcoming, we’re dog-friendly, we offer free babyccinos and we’re happy to host meetings for local groups and cater for parties. So far a real cross-section of people has come – and that’s perfect. I see Swallow as a centre for the community.’
Swallow Coffee Shop
75 Goldhawk Road
Shepherd’s Bush
London W12 8EH
+447779666869
https://www.swallowcoffeeshop.com
https://twitter.com/Swallowcoffee1
https://facebook.com/SwallowCoffeeShop
https://instagram.com/swallowcoffeeshop