Charlie's Coffee & Company: Specialty Coffee on London Road

Charlie's Coffee & Company is a specialty coffee shop on London Road in St Albans, opposite the Odyssey Cinema. The business started in 2008 with a three-wheeled coffee van at St Albans station, and the shop opened on London Road in 2014. The business still runs a coffee van at Platform 4, City Station, which serves coffee Monday to Friday from about 6:30am to 10:00am, so it's handy if you're catching an early train.

The shop serves specialty coffee, including a house blend roasted exclusively for the café, single origins, and guest beans from UK small-scale roasteries. A grinding service is available if you want to take beans home, and there is also a daily filter coffee. On the food side, the menu includes life-changing cake, loaded baguettes, toasted banana bread with butter, toasted sourdough crumpets and bagels with a choice of toppings. Some of the treats are gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian.

Opening hours in the shop are Monday to Friday from about 7:30am to 4:00pm, and Saturday from about 8:30am to 2:30pm. Google Maps gives the café 4.9 out of 5 from 272 reviews, and MapQuest gives it 4.4 out of 5 from 64 reviews. Customers mostly mention the friendly staff, the specialty coffee and the treats. Indoor seating is limited, but there is a patio. There are no toilets on site, but facilities are available next door for customers.

If you're buying a present or something for yourself, there are £20 Charlie's Gift Vouchers and £35 Charlie's Gift Vouchers. Merchandise includes the Charlie's Sunshine Pin Badge at £6.50 and the Charlie's Sunshine Tote in cream or yellow, both at £9.50. The online shop offers free shipping on orders of £30 or more. The business has won several local awards for customer service, specialty coffee and sustainability policies. You can get in touch at info@charliescoffeeandcompany.co.uk or through the contact page on the website.