Lot 107 (found at 107 Wood Street, opposite the indoor market) is part of the newly-popular Wood Street cluster of cafes. Wood Street has a similar mix of eateries to the High Street but far less footfall. That obviously has pros and cons, and I hope these businesses continue to survive but retain some of their peace. I head to Wood Street when I want a walk, a little browsing in the shops and a peaceful coffee. I head to the High Street for people watching and have a coffee for a rest after battling down the market.
When I started the blog, I decided to visit places at least twice before writing about them. This rule has served 107’s coffee well, because unfortunately on my first visit it was a huge disappointment. I ordered a large soya latte, it was sweet, weak and lacked body. On my second visit, I was asked if I wanted a second shot. Of course – here was the problem! I’d assumed that large drink = two shots. A reminder to me, to check! And yes, the coffee is good, mellow and drinkable.
Lot 107 stands out because of the quality of their food offering, especially their all day breakfast. Everything is fresh and well made. One of my favourite dishes in the world is Eggs Benedict. Whilst I do believe it’s boring to continually order the same thing, this dish makes me happy. I could easily show you a series of Eggs Benedict photos.
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| Eggs Benedict £4.95 |
The egg is always perfectly poached and I think they use a high proportion of lemon juice in the hollandaise sauce because it’s a strong flavour which quickly cuts through the richness. Friends have tried other dishes on the menu, and can attest that they are just as good!
The staff are friendly and the service is quick. They are clearly popular – on one visit at 4pm on a Saturday (an hour before closing) they were still busy. It’s full height shop window at the front means it’s light and airy even in the worst weather. They have plenty of tables so you shouldn’t have to wait for a seat. In summer their space doubles, as the garden gets full use with large picnic tables and small bistro tables. They also grow some veggies in the back, which presumably contribute to the menu in summer.
Open Monday to Friday, 7am-5pm and Saturday 9am-5pm, with free wifi. It’s disappointing they’re not open on a Sunday as Wood Street’s Sunday offering is growing and I think they’d turn a good trade. On Tuesday’s they have a coffee morning from 9 -11, half price cakes with any hot drink – I imagine it’s a popular slot! You can find the soup choice and other specials on their Twitter feed @LOT107.
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| Leek and potato soup |
Popular with... older teenagers, families with little ones and shoppers from Wood St Market.
Accessibility... There is a small step at the entrance that would be difficult for powered wheelchair users (more than just a bump), but probably fine for people using manual chairs. Tons of space inside to move around. Toilets are available, with baby changing facilities, accessed by going out the back door down the side of the garden. I'm afraid I forgot to check whether there was a step here, but I will on my next visit.
Wood Street Indoor Market is full of independent traders displaying their passion and selling it. There are vintage clothes shops, record stores, medal and war memorabilia, the chair man, antiques, and soap! The enthusiasm that they all have for their products and for making Wood Street a better place, means the Indoor Market is a lovely friendly welcoming place. It’s designed for poking around and finding a gem.
And both Wood Street Coffee and Aura Rosa Cakes are real gems. They’re worth walking 20 minutes from Walthamstow Central for – in fact, I’ve been telling half the office to come to e17 on a Sunday just for a piece of cake.
Wood Street Coffee is run by Clare and Gareth and they’re starting small and building their business from scratch. Their desire to deliver good quality products, with a smile, means they have the capacity to create a great independent coffee shop. They’ve got a great, simple brand for their new venture, and their presence is helping give the market more of an identity.
I visited with a good friend, and we sat outside in the windy sunshine, feeling glam in our sunglasses, sipping a flat white (£2.20) and a cappuccino (£2.20), on retro furniture supplied by The Chair Man – a Wood Street upcycler. It's quieter than other Walthamstow venues, a consequence of being slightly further from central Walthamstow, and being a Sunday. We visited after lunch at Cafe Bonito and I think it’s much busier in the morning.
The Climpsons and Sons coffee was mellow and light – not as strong as I’d expected but had definite depth and body. I was over the moon that they had soya milk and for no extra charge. With such little storage space, I’ve learned to manage my expectations and cope with real milk. Decaf is also available – they’re very accommodating folks!
The mellowness of the coffee was really refreshing with the rich, rich, chocolate cake I had from Aura Rosa Cakes. (Wood Street Coffee does have their own cake suppliers, but by 3pm, there was nothing left!)
The cake stall is another recent addition, currently a pop up stall that will soon occupy one of the shops. It was being painted white and pink as we shopped! Jason and Gio were happy to chat to us about the cake and their business plans, their excitement was infectious.
They had a full range of cakes, meringues, cupcakes and crème brulee. We chose a chocolate cake and a cheesecake.
The Chockaberry cake (£3.50 a slice) was three layers of light chocolate sponge soaked in rum, with raspberry cream and covered with chocolate ganache, topped with a raspberry macaroon and fresh raspberries. The macaroon was a raspberry explosion – such a strong flavour it tasted like bakewell tart – a delicious extra treat.
My friend had Amaretto cheesecake topped with caramelised peaches (£3.50 a slice), which had a subtle but distinctive flavour of amaretto, rich and creamy.
The combination of new coffee and cake stalls has made Wood Street Market a Sunday destination, bringing in customers that probably didn't visit as regularly as before. The only downside of visiting on Sundays is that not all the shops are open, which makes it a less fruitful trip. I had been hoping to pick up some raspberry vodka from the Gin Palace, Mother's Ruin, but I will have to go back on another occastion. Let’s hope their customer base grows and they’re able to open all weekend very soon.
A full directory of the Wood Street Indoor Market is online.
Accessibility... Wood Street Market is wheelchair accessible, though it would be impossible to enter most of the shops. All the shops have full windows and I’m sure all owners would happily bring things out to view. Wood Street Coffee is right by the entrance on Marlowe Road, with a concrete ramp and enough space to move around inside. Cafe Aura Rosa is the first shop by one of the two entrances on Wood Street. No toilets available.
Popular with... the e17 Twitterati, local residents and hipsters from Hackney, caters for everyone.
Lot 107 (found at 107 Wood Street, opposite the indoor market) is part of the newly-popular Wood Street cluster of cafes. Wood Street has a similar mix of eateries to the High Street but far less footfall. That obviously has pros and cons, and I hope these businesses continue to survive but retain some of their peace. I head to Wood Street when I want a walk, a little browsing in the shops and a peaceful coffee. I head to the High Street for people watching and have a coffee for a rest after battling down the market.
