Current city: Sheffield
Address: 22 Norfolk Row, Sheffield S1 2PA
On a pretty little street in the heart of Sheffield, you’ll find the delightful Marmadukes Cafe Deli.
Opening in 2012, the cafe recently celebrated it’s third birthday since the family business begun. Owned by Tim and Clare, the couple are truly immersed in their business, helping with the day to day running of the cafe, designing the interior and constantly researching to ensure the cafe stays ahead of trend.
As a Marketing student, on passing I always noticed their symbolic polar bear on a bicycle. He is currently featured enjoying the winter months playing with snowballs in the window display art drawn by the fantastic Drybritish. If you’re around town, go and take a look – it’s adorable.
Ben and I went along to meet Alex from Marmadukes to learn about the cafe and the world of speciality coffee.
Alex’s coffee journey started during his Linguistics degree as a barista in the University of Sheffield’s Coffee Revolution, before moving to London to become a barista trainer. After missing the communal side of the coffee industry, he returned to Sheffield this year to work at Marmadukes.
However despite his differing career path to his degree, Alex is clearly very passionate about coffee. He finds he learns new things everyday and loves the variety a job in speciality coffee provides – the science and the art of taking coffee from bean to cup, coupled with the daily interactions between regular and new visitors to the cafe and the events the cafe hosts.
On our visit Alex introduced us to two difference types of filter coffee, Aeropress and Kalita Wave. In English, Aeropress is similar to a cafetiere and Kalita Wave is a Japanese pour over coffee method that drips through a filter. This enlightened us to the difference that the brewing method can make to the taste of coffee despite using the same beans. We could both taste the difference but both preferred the opposing option which emphasises the difference in our taste and how taste is so individual.
We also learnt about the process coffee follows before it becomes your chosen daily caffeine boost. What I didn’t realise is coffee is actually a fruit – who would have guessed? It actually looks quite similar to a cherry in it’s original form. To be served in Marmadukes, the beans must be speciality graded. Only beans that are graded above 86% quality are deemed to be of speciality grade, however only 3% of all coffee is graded this highly, so your cup is pretty special.
Don’t worry though, if you’re mind is boggled already, Marmadukes do accommodate all coffee enthusiasts. With a full menu of filter coffee, flat whites, lattes, cappuccinos and mochas so you won’t need to be a coffee expert to go along. If you’re a fan of latte art you may even have your coffee served by TJ, Sheffield’s number one Latte Artist, creating something fancy in your cup!
For tea drinkers, the cafe offers Yorkshire’s favourite, serving up a proper brew with proper Yorkshire Tea, alongside a selection of fruit teas from Joe’s Tea Co.
When it comes to food, Marmadukes doesn’t fall short. All food (and coffee) is freshly prepared, in house upon order so if you’re waiting a bit longer than you would in a conventional cafe, be grateful, they will only serve you food that is fresh and to utmost perfection.
You’ll also be indulging in some of the best local produce. All meat comes from Moss Valley or Lane End Farm, milk from Our Cow Molly, vegetables from Delifresh and fresh bread delivered daily from the Welbeck Bakehouse where the School of Artisan Food is based.
On our recent lunch visit, Ben opted for a Goats Cheese, Beetroot and Onion Chutney sandwich whilst I had a Pastrami, Pesto and Mozzarella sandwich (I just cannot resist mozzarella). They also offer a wide range of options on their breakfast and lunch menus if you don’t fancy the sandwiches on display.
Considering the blog is named Coffee and Cake Dates, we realised we haven’t blogged any cake yet! Marmadukes was the place to start due to the huge portions on offer. Ben and I both felt rather full after indulging in a slice of carrot cake and Baileys cheesecake – they were worth the food babies.
Marmadukes’ mission is also to help educate people in good coffee. Offering small, intimate events so that guests can learn from the baristas themselves. The most recent event provided people with an introduction to the Aeropress method of filtering coffee and for a small fee included a workshop and some free samples.
One of my favourite things about Marmadukes is the interior design. Solely designed by Clare, the aim of the design is to be cosy, relaxed and homely which as a guest is definitely noticeable. Despite our visits being during busy periods, I’ve always felt relaxed and comfortable like I could sit and chat for hours.
However, if you’re not familiar with Marmadukes you may end up a bit lost in the peculiar layout. The building has a windy ground floor area as well as two upstairs areas. You may wonder how on earth the staff keep track of everyone, but they have a nifty system that makes it all a lot clearer!
From our meeting with Alex and our visits to Marmadukes, we can proudly say we are definitely ambassadors for the brand. From the quality of product, personable service and cosy interior – Marmadukes has everything that we like in a coffee shop and would 100% recommend to anyone looking for a perfect lunch, brunch or coffee date. We will most definitely be returning!
However another reason we headed to the Peddler Market was because it was right next to the Depot Bakery. As supplier of some of the best donuts in Sheffield, we had to go along and try.
Coffee and Cake Dates 