 Coffee MACHINE That Performs When It Matters |
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The Beginning: 10 Dean Street
In the early 1950s, Gaggia established its UK office, showroom and service centre at 10 Dean Street.
Today the ground floor is home to Pizza Express and the basement hosts the well-known jazz venue beneath it. But seventy-five years ago this building played a different role.
This was where café owners, restaurateurs and entrepreneurs came to see something new: the Italian espresso machine.
Crates of machines arrived from Milan. Engineers serviced the equipment. Demonstrations showed café operators how the revolutionary lever machines worked and how they produced something unfamiliar to British drinkers at the time — crema.
From this Soho address, espresso began spreading into cafés across London and eventually across the country.
The Rhythm of Soho
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A short walk from Dean Street brings you to one of the most famous coffee addresses in London: Bar Italia on Frith Street.
Even today, customers sit outside enjoying espresso just as they have done for decades.
Directly opposite stands Ronnie Scott's, one of the world’s most iconic jazz venues.
The pairing feels perfect.
Espresso and jazz.
Pressure and performance.
For generations Soho has been a stage for creativity — in music, theatre, art and hospitality.
Coffee has always been part of that energy.
Even today, customers sit outside enjoying espresso just as they have done for decades.
Directly opposite stands Ronnie Scott's, one of the world’s most iconic jazz venues.
The pairing feels perfect.
Espresso and jazz.
Pressure and performance.
For generations Soho has been a stage for creativity — in music, theatre, art and hospitality.
Coffee has always been part of that energy.
algerian coffee store
Established in 1887
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A Living Coffee Institution
Just around the corner on Old Compton Street is another landmark: Algerian Coffee Stores.
Established in the nineteenth century and still operating in the same location, the Algerian Coffee Stores remains one of London’s most remarkable coffee institutions.
Walking inside, the experience is unmistakable: the aroma of freshly ground coffee, shelves lined with beans from around the world, grinders humming as customers select their blends.
What is striking is that this independent family business continues to flourish alongside modern global coffee chains.
Along the same streets you will find outlets from Caffè Nero, Costa Coffee and Starbucks.
Yet Algerian Coffee Stores still thrives — a reminder that heritage and craft still have a place in modern coffee culture.
Just around the corner on Old Compton Street is another landmark: Algerian Coffee Stores.
Established in the nineteenth century and still operating in the same location, the Algerian Coffee Stores remains one of London’s most remarkable coffee institutions.
Walking inside, the experience is unmistakable: the aroma of freshly ground coffee, shelves lined with beans from around the world, grinders humming as customers select their blends.
What is striking is that this independent family business continues to flourish alongside modern global coffee chains.
Along the same streets you will find outlets from Caffè Nero, Costa Coffee and Starbucks.
Yet Algerian Coffee Stores still thrives — a reminder that heritage and craft still have a place in modern coffee culture.
A Memory from 2002
Extract from an article published in the article in the Observer Food Monthly in 2002
A Memory from 2002
Walking those same streets yesterday also brought back a personal memory.
In September 2002, I was invited to participate in a Soho coffee tasting organised for The Observer Food Monthly.
Three of us took part in the panel:
Our judging criteria included flavour, balance, crema and finish.
Among the places we visited were:
Bar Italia came out top.
Algerian Coffee Stores followed in second place.
Caffè Nero ranked third.
The result reflected something that coffee lovers already knew: great coffee is not simply about scale or branding. It is about freshness, skill and experience.
What Endures
Standing again in Soho more than two decades later, something became clear.
Bar Italia still stands.
The Algerian Coffee Stores continues to flourish as a family business.
The streets are busier than ever with coffee drinkers.
Soho has changed — as great cities always do — but the core culture remains.
Independent cafés, roasters, music venues and theatres still shape the character of the neighbourhood.
And back in the 1950s, at 10 Dean Street, Gaggia was part of the movement that helped introduce espresso into that world.
Walking those same streets yesterday also brought back a personal memory.
In September 2002, I was invited to participate in a Soho coffee tasting organised for The Observer Food Monthly.
Three of us took part in the panel:
- I, Raj Beadle – coffee industry representative
- Mary Banks – food author
- Elvan Carvalho – from the World Coffee Organisation
Our judging criteria included flavour, balance, crema and finish.
Among the places we visited were:
- Bar Italia
- Algerian Coffee Stores
- Caffè Nero
- Costa Coffee
- Starbucks
Bar Italia came out top.
Algerian Coffee Stores followed in second place.
Caffè Nero ranked third.
The result reflected something that coffee lovers already knew: great coffee is not simply about scale or branding. It is about freshness, skill and experience.
What Endures
Standing again in Soho more than two decades later, something became clear.
Bar Italia still stands.
The Algerian Coffee Stores continues to flourish as a family business.
The streets are busier than ever with coffee drinkers.
Soho has changed — as great cities always do — but the core culture remains.
Independent cafés, roasters, music venues and theatres still shape the character of the neighbourhood.
And back in the 1950s, at 10 Dean Street, Gaggia was part of the movement that helped introduce espresso into that world.
From Soho to Your Home
From Soho to Your Home
Today espresso is no longer confined to cafés.
Machines inspired by those early lever machines now sit on kitchen counters across Britain.
What began in Soho cafés seventy-five years ago now lives in homes, offices and communities across the country.
The journey is remarkable.
From roastery…
to café…
to showroom…
to kitchen counter.
From Soho…
to your home.
Today espresso is no longer confined to cafés.
Machines inspired by those early lever machines now sit on kitchen counters across Britain.
What began in Soho cafés seventy-five years ago now lives in homes, offices and communities across the country.
The journey is remarkable.
From roastery…
to café…
to showroom…
to kitchen counter.
From Soho…
to your home.
You can also listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1fCzwJZgY00p088vthRnUh?si=d3ab2ed9ab5f434e
P.S.
The One That Wasn’t There: Angelucci’s
The One That Wasn’t There: Angelucci’s
There was one place I went looking for — and couldn’t find.
Angelucci’s.
Twenty years ago, just a couple of doors along from Bar Italia on Frith Street, stood a small, deeply atmospheric coffee roaster: Angelucci’s at 23b Frith Street.
The Angelucci family began trading in Soho in 1929 and remained in that very spot for around 80 years. From this tiny shop, they roasted and blended coffee for generations of London cafés. Among their creations was the Mokital® blend — and for decades they supplied Bar Italia from the early 1950s onwards.
Imagine the scene.
Bags of green beans arriving in Soho.
The sound of grinders whirring.
Warm, freshly roasted coffee drifting out into Frith Street.
Espresso in Britain was not just born in cafés — it was born in places like this.
But Soho changes.
In 2009, after rising rents made it difficult to continue, Angelucci’s left Frith Street and relocated to East Finchley. The physical shopfront may be gone, but its imprint remains in the story of Italian Soho.
There’s even a cultural echo.
Mark Knopfler immortalised the name in Dire Straits’ Wild West End with the line:
“Stepping out to Angelucci’s for my coffee beans…”
That lyric alone tells you how deeply woven coffee roasters were into Soho life.
There was one place I went looking for — and couldn’t find.
Angelucci’s.
Twenty years ago, just a couple of doors along from Bar Italia on Frith Street, stood a small, deeply atmospheric coffee roaster: Angelucci’s at 23b Frith Street.
The Angelucci family began trading in Soho in 1929 and remained in that very spot for around 80 years. From this tiny shop, they roasted and blended coffee for generations of London cafés. Among their creations was the Mokital® blend — and for decades they supplied Bar Italia from the early 1950s onwards.
Imagine the scene.
Bags of green beans arriving in Soho.
The sound of grinders whirring.
Warm, freshly roasted coffee drifting out into Frith Street.
Espresso in Britain was not just born in cafés — it was born in places like this.
But Soho changes.
In 2009, after rising rents made it difficult to continue, Angelucci’s left Frith Street and relocated to East Finchley. The physical shopfront may be gone, but its imprint remains in the story of Italian Soho.
There’s even a cultural echo.
Mark Knopfler immortalised the name in Dire Straits’ Wild West End with the line:
“Stepping out to Angelucci’s for my coffee beans…”
That lyric alone tells you how deeply woven coffee roasters were into Soho life.
How Doctor Espresso gives the romantic coffee culture era the kiss of life
Doctor Espresso is a man on a mission to restore vintage coffee machines and bring them back to life … and they’re also now in action at his four vibrant cafes along with countless others nationwide.
The good doctor, also known as Russell Kerr, has been restoring coffee machines for more than 30 years and now has the finest collection of vintage coffee machines in the UK, including the two oldest working machines which are both Italian-made Gaggia machines.
Doctor Espresso is a man on a mission to restore vintage coffee machines and bring them back to life … and they’re also now in action at his four vibrant cafes along with countless others nationwide.
The good doctor, also known as Russell Kerr, has been restoring coffee machines for more than 30 years and now has the finest collection of vintage coffee machines in the UK, including the two oldest working machines which are both Italian-made Gaggia machines.
| This year is a major milestone in the coffee world as it’s 70 years since the first Gaggia machine began work in the UK and you can see this majestic machine in action and taste its coffee every day in Doctor Espresso Caffetteria on Station Approach near Putney Bridge - one of four stylish 1950s designed coffee shops Russell owns in the capital, branded as Doctor Espresso and run by his wife, Vanessa. Russell says: “Vanessa has always wanted these vintage machines to be used, loved and shared with others rather than kept as static objects which is why she runs the cafés day to day with the working Gaggia machines at the heart of the operation.”  |  Vanessa and Russell with a vintage GAGGIA  |
Why one of the world’s most famous cafes – Bar Italia in London’s Soho - has only ever used Gaggia coffee machines for 75 years
It’s the most iconic coffee bar in London – if not the world – and synonymous with Gaggia coffee machines.
Bar Italia opened at 22 Frith Street in the heart of Soho in 1949 – the year before legendary Italian coffee machine manufacturer Gaggia sold its first machine in the UK.
Bar Italia was founded by Lou and Caterina Polledri and then run by their son, Nino.
It’s now run by their grandchildren Antonio, Lou and Veronica with Lou’s three children Anthony, Louis and Francesca working in the business which is now into its fifth generation.
Lou and Caterina possibly bought the first Gaggia coffee machine in the UK which was operated by levers and only had one boiler. It’s been a centrepiece in the café ever since, still works brilliantly and is now being renovated.
Antonio, who joined the business in 1982 when he was 16, said: “That original Gaggia machine is a work of art. We’ve always stayed with Gaggia because both Gaggia and Bar Italia are iconic brands, successful and consistent.
“Gaggia is an absolute workhorse of a machine. We’re open seven days a week so our Gaggia coffee machine is virtually working non-stop all day, every day. Even the modern Gaggia machine we now also use has a retro feel which fits Bar Italia very well.
“Some of our staff have been with us for 30 years and it’s all about knowing your customer, the coffee they want and exactly how they want it.”
Lou and Caterina came to London from Piacenza in northern Italy and the day they opened Bar Italia in 1949 was certainly a memorable one.
It was officially opened by famous American comedy duo Abbott and Costello and they then had a competition to see who could drink the most coffee with the winner getting a small Gaggia machine to take home … and it was won by a little old lady who walked off with it tucked under her arm.
When Bar Italia opened, Soho had a very large Italian population and the café quickly became a fantastic social centre for the Italian community in London.
Since then its reputation has grown to be hailed as one of the best coffee bars in the world and has attracted millions of people and countless celebrities over the decades, welcoming stars such as Al Pacino, Elizabeth Taylor, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Paul Weller and Martin Freeman through the doors.
Bar Italia, which is across the road from Ronnie Scott’s world-famous jazz club, has won the Best Café In London award at the London Lifestyle Awards for the last five years and hopes to make it six in a row at the awards on November 2.
It’s also the third ‘most beautiful cafe on earth’ according to The Telegraph’s rankings in 2022.
Bar Italia is open 21 hours a day from 7am until 4am seven days a week.
Antonio explains: “You’re in the heart of theatre land and people don’t necessarily want to go straight home when they’ve come out of the theatre. They may want to come for a coffee, sit down and talk to their friends and people watch. This is a very special place to watch people.”
One regular customer is boxing promoter Dean Powell, who says: “It has an ambience about it. I think everyone in the world knows Bar Italia. It has a great lively, busy atmosphere.”
Bespoke tailor Mark Powell, who goes to Bar Italia just about every day, adds: “It’s still got that old school feel. You could think you were in a time capsule in the late 1940s or early 50s and it’s kept its character so well.”
Another regular, Paul S, wrote on Trip Advisor: “Best coffee in London and a truly authentic experience 24/7. An oasis of calm to escape the madness of the West End.
“Bar Italia has been welcoming all discerning tribes for 70 years with a history and loyal following to die for. If in doubt, simply refer to the walls to see the joy in pictures and trophies from the famous and not-so-famous who enjoyed a visit.
“Its abiding secret is never to change or respond to fleeting fancies. Simply offer great coffee, decent food and a unique place to meet a friend, fall in love or watch the world go by - and occasionally brush shoulders with a celebrity or two.
“As a die-hard fan since 1980 I’m pleased to have enjoyed many visits with family, friends and colleagues day, night and very early morning.”
Louie Salvoni, an Anglo-Italian coffee expert who popularised cappuccino and espresso culture, says: “Here’s what makes Bar Italia special. It’s not just the wonderful coffee, the warm greeting or the atmosphere. There is something unique.
“Coffee making is a ritual, a ritual handed down over the centuries. Here you feel the history and when you order a coffee in Bar Italia you are participating in the millions of rituals that have taken place there over the years. So perhaps that’s why it’s like no other coffee bar because here you become part of that timeless institution that is Bar Italia.”
Gaggia transformed drinking coffee into a true experience verging on performance art in the 1950s - dramatic, aromatic and utterly continental – and Bar Italia was at the centre of all that and continues to be even now, 76 years on.
Find out more at the Bar Italia website at http://baritaliasoho.co.uk
Find out more about Gaggia at 75 : www.gaggiadirect.com/gaggia-in-the-uk-75-years.html
It’s the most iconic coffee bar in London – if not the world – and synonymous with Gaggia coffee machines.
Bar Italia opened at 22 Frith Street in the heart of Soho in 1949 – the year before legendary Italian coffee machine manufacturer Gaggia sold its first machine in the UK.
Bar Italia was founded by Lou and Caterina Polledri and then run by their son, Nino.
It’s now run by their grandchildren Antonio, Lou and Veronica with Lou’s three children Anthony, Louis and Francesca working in the business which is now into its fifth generation.
Lou and Caterina possibly bought the first Gaggia coffee machine in the UK which was operated by levers and only had one boiler. It’s been a centrepiece in the café ever since, still works brilliantly and is now being renovated.
Antonio, who joined the business in 1982 when he was 16, said: “That original Gaggia machine is a work of art. We’ve always stayed with Gaggia because both Gaggia and Bar Italia are iconic brands, successful and consistent.
“Gaggia is an absolute workhorse of a machine. We’re open seven days a week so our Gaggia coffee machine is virtually working non-stop all day, every day. Even the modern Gaggia machine we now also use has a retro feel which fits Bar Italia very well.
“Some of our staff have been with us for 30 years and it’s all about knowing your customer, the coffee they want and exactly how they want it.”
Lou and Caterina came to London from Piacenza in northern Italy and the day they opened Bar Italia in 1949 was certainly a memorable one.
It was officially opened by famous American comedy duo Abbott and Costello and they then had a competition to see who could drink the most coffee with the winner getting a small Gaggia machine to take home … and it was won by a little old lady who walked off with it tucked under her arm.
When Bar Italia opened, Soho had a very large Italian population and the café quickly became a fantastic social centre for the Italian community in London.
Since then its reputation has grown to be hailed as one of the best coffee bars in the world and has attracted millions of people and countless celebrities over the decades, welcoming stars such as Al Pacino, Elizabeth Taylor, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Paul Weller and Martin Freeman through the doors.
Bar Italia, which is across the road from Ronnie Scott’s world-famous jazz club, has won the Best Café In London award at the London Lifestyle Awards for the last five years and hopes to make it six in a row at the awards on November 2.
It’s also the third ‘most beautiful cafe on earth’ according to The Telegraph’s rankings in 2022.
Bar Italia is open 21 hours a day from 7am until 4am seven days a week.
Antonio explains: “You’re in the heart of theatre land and people don’t necessarily want to go straight home when they’ve come out of the theatre. They may want to come for a coffee, sit down and talk to their friends and people watch. This is a very special place to watch people.”
One regular customer is boxing promoter Dean Powell, who says: “It has an ambience about it. I think everyone in the world knows Bar Italia. It has a great lively, busy atmosphere.”
Bespoke tailor Mark Powell, who goes to Bar Italia just about every day, adds: “It’s still got that old school feel. You could think you were in a time capsule in the late 1940s or early 50s and it’s kept its character so well.”
Another regular, Paul S, wrote on Trip Advisor: “Best coffee in London and a truly authentic experience 24/7. An oasis of calm to escape the madness of the West End.
“Bar Italia has been welcoming all discerning tribes for 70 years with a history and loyal following to die for. If in doubt, simply refer to the walls to see the joy in pictures and trophies from the famous and not-so-famous who enjoyed a visit.
“Its abiding secret is never to change or respond to fleeting fancies. Simply offer great coffee, decent food and a unique place to meet a friend, fall in love or watch the world go by - and occasionally brush shoulders with a celebrity or two.
“As a die-hard fan since 1980 I’m pleased to have enjoyed many visits with family, friends and colleagues day, night and very early morning.”
Louie Salvoni, an Anglo-Italian coffee expert who popularised cappuccino and espresso culture, says: “Here’s what makes Bar Italia special. It’s not just the wonderful coffee, the warm greeting or the atmosphere. There is something unique.
“Coffee making is a ritual, a ritual handed down over the centuries. Here you feel the history and when you order a coffee in Bar Italia you are participating in the millions of rituals that have taken place there over the years. So perhaps that’s why it’s like no other coffee bar because here you become part of that timeless institution that is Bar Italia.”
Gaggia transformed drinking coffee into a true experience verging on performance art in the 1950s - dramatic, aromatic and utterly continental – and Bar Italia was at the centre of all that and continues to be even now, 76 years on.
Find out more at the Bar Italia website at http://baritaliasoho.co.uk
Find out more about Gaggia at 75 : www.gaggiadirect.com/gaggia-in-the-uk-75-years.html
Gaggia UK’s unique ‘forever customer care’ puts us in line for 2 national awards
Gaggia UK has been shortlisted for two of the UK’s most prestigious customer service awards.
We’ve been shortlisted in the Institute of Customer Service awards for the Customer Focus Award for small and medium businesses and the Commitment Award B2C for our unique ‘forever customer care’ policy.
We are instantly accessible on Zoom and phone all day, helping anyone with a Gaggia coffee machine long after the warranty has run out.
People contacting us for help or advice speak immediately to someone from the company and they can do that either on the phone or by coming straight through on Zoom.
Our service for people who are deaf or hard of hearing is exceptional as we’ll arrange for a sign language expert to join online so deaf people can communicate directly with our team.
We’ve fully embraced Artificial Intelligence and introduced our own chatbot that’s simply called VAR and asked our customers to email in the questions they’d like VAR to answer. More than 2,000 came in and now the answers have been programmed into VAR it’s probably the most advanced AI chatbot in the coffee industry.
Gaggia UK’s ratings on TrustPilot are virtually all five-star with excellent testimonials being posted on the internet just about every day.
Managing director Raj Beadle says: “We can’t think of another organisation that provides the same level of free customer care out of warranty and instant accessibility that we do. We view these awards as the best in Britain for customer service so we are delighted to be shortlisted in two categories, especially as we are up against some big names.”
The Commitment Award B2C sees Gaggia pitched against the Nationwide Building Society, Cirencester Friendly Society, Pension Insurance Corporation and the National Records of Scotland which preserves and publishes information about Scotland’s people and history.
The Customer Focus Award shortlist includes Mazuma mobile phone recycling service, Carmoola car finance company, top quality bathroom equipment company Geberit and Personal Group insurance.
Raj adds: “Our concept is simple yet highly effective, using Zoom to provide quick and efficient customer care which we call Forever Customer Care as it continues after the warranty ends.
“When customers contact a company they want an instant response - someone to pick up the phone and talk to them immediately - yet how many businesses actually do this? With most, the caller has to endure digital call handling systems that have them pressing this button, then another and another before subjecting them to awful muzak before the call is finally answered or, worse, gets cut off when they’ve been waiting for it to be answered for ages.
“At Gaggia UK people can contact us immediately by phone, chat or zoom and are instantly talking to a person from the business. It’s amazing how many customers are surprised and even shocked by that.”
Raj adds: “If the member of staff can’t resolve the problem straightaway then the customer is immediately referred to an engineer who will join the Zoom or phone call.
“This means that if they have a problem with a coffee machine they can show us the problem and we can give instant advice there and then and guide them on how to fix it as many of the issues can be quickly solved.
“It also saves the time, effort, money and the environment of needlessly sending a machine back to us when it can be quickly sorted online. If a part needs replacing we can get it ordered and delivered straight to the customer and then talk them through how to fit it.
“The number of coffee machines sent back to us for repairs, servicing or upgrades has halved since we introduced Zoom into our customer service.”
In 2003 Gaggia UK was granted Cool Brand Leader status by The Brand Council which put the company alongside the likes of Aston Martin, Chanel, Royal Doulton, Bang and Olufsen, Jaguar Cars, Lambretta, Vespa, Moet & Chandon, Selfridges and Xbox.
This is because Gaggia machines – the first ever coffee machines in the UK 75 years ago - have changed the way coffee was made forever and continues to be a brand leader.
Gaggia UK has been shortlisted for two of the UK’s most prestigious customer service awards.
We’ve been shortlisted in the Institute of Customer Service awards for the Customer Focus Award for small and medium businesses and the Commitment Award B2C for our unique ‘forever customer care’ policy.
We are instantly accessible on Zoom and phone all day, helping anyone with a Gaggia coffee machine long after the warranty has run out.
People contacting us for help or advice speak immediately to someone from the company and they can do that either on the phone or by coming straight through on Zoom.
Our service for people who are deaf or hard of hearing is exceptional as we’ll arrange for a sign language expert to join online so deaf people can communicate directly with our team.
We’ve fully embraced Artificial Intelligence and introduced our own chatbot that’s simply called VAR and asked our customers to email in the questions they’d like VAR to answer. More than 2,000 came in and now the answers have been programmed into VAR it’s probably the most advanced AI chatbot in the coffee industry.
Gaggia UK’s ratings on TrustPilot are virtually all five-star with excellent testimonials being posted on the internet just about every day.
Managing director Raj Beadle says: “We can’t think of another organisation that provides the same level of free customer care out of warranty and instant accessibility that we do. We view these awards as the best in Britain for customer service so we are delighted to be shortlisted in two categories, especially as we are up against some big names.”
The Commitment Award B2C sees Gaggia pitched against the Nationwide Building Society, Cirencester Friendly Society, Pension Insurance Corporation and the National Records of Scotland which preserves and publishes information about Scotland’s people and history.
The Customer Focus Award shortlist includes Mazuma mobile phone recycling service, Carmoola car finance company, top quality bathroom equipment company Geberit and Personal Group insurance.
Raj adds: “Our concept is simple yet highly effective, using Zoom to provide quick and efficient customer care which we call Forever Customer Care as it continues after the warranty ends.
“When customers contact a company they want an instant response - someone to pick up the phone and talk to them immediately - yet how many businesses actually do this? With most, the caller has to endure digital call handling systems that have them pressing this button, then another and another before subjecting them to awful muzak before the call is finally answered or, worse, gets cut off when they’ve been waiting for it to be answered for ages.
“At Gaggia UK people can contact us immediately by phone, chat or zoom and are instantly talking to a person from the business. It’s amazing how many customers are surprised and even shocked by that.”
Raj adds: “If the member of staff can’t resolve the problem straightaway then the customer is immediately referred to an engineer who will join the Zoom or phone call.
“This means that if they have a problem with a coffee machine they can show us the problem and we can give instant advice there and then and guide them on how to fix it as many of the issues can be quickly solved.
“It also saves the time, effort, money and the environment of needlessly sending a machine back to us when it can be quickly sorted online. If a part needs replacing we can get it ordered and delivered straight to the customer and then talk them through how to fit it.
“The number of coffee machines sent back to us for repairs, servicing or upgrades has halved since we introduced Zoom into our customer service.”
In 2003 Gaggia UK was granted Cool Brand Leader status by The Brand Council which put the company alongside the likes of Aston Martin, Chanel, Royal Doulton, Bang and Olufsen, Jaguar Cars, Lambretta, Vespa, Moet & Chandon, Selfridges and Xbox.
This is because Gaggia machines – the first ever coffee machines in the UK 75 years ago - have changed the way coffee was made forever and continues to be a brand leader.
When Soho was the centre of the coffee world in the mid-1950s
Gaggia coffee machines revolutionised society in the 1950s with Soho in London leading the way as the birthplace of British espresso culture.
This year marks 75 since the first Gaggia coffee machines arrived in the UK and Gaggia UK has unearthed news stories and adverts from that time capturing the excitement behind the new craze.
The place that’s widely accepted as starting it all was the Moka Bar in Frith Street. This was somewhere teenagers too young for pubs could gather and is thought by some to have prompted the youth culture explosion that soon changed social life in Britain forever.
In those early days a few were begrudging coffee fans such as the author John Sutherland, who recalls: “The Gaggia machine, a great burbling, wheezing, spluttering monster would excrete some bitter caffeinated essence. It would be swamped with steamed-milk foam and dusted with chocolate to form its ‘cappuccino’ hood. Glass cups and brown sugar (lots of it) were de rigueur. Frankly, 50s espresso was no taste thrill but it felt smart as hell.”
Well, Gaggia’s certainly a taste thrill these days with a wide range of state-of-the-art machines ideal for use in people’s own homes.
Journalist Frank Jackson wrote in the 1950s: “The honour of being the very first espresso bar in London is proudly, fiercely and appropriately claimed by Soho’s Moka in Frith Street. They certainly started something.
“Ever since, espresso bars have mushroomed up in all the more cosmopolitan districts of the Smoke.
“The espresso bars have brought back to London a leisurely sociability which was in danger of being lost. You can sit as long as you like over your cup of coffee without being chivvied.
“Out of those weird machines like huge, gleaming table radios with knobs on comes a good, strong brew which Continental visitors can recognise as coffee.”
Frank sure had a way with words with his descriptions of the folk you’d meet at Moka and the nearby Bar Italia which is still going strong today.
He added: “At the Moka you can brush up on your Italian as you try, rather desperately, to eavesdrop on voluble conversations which seem to bear small relation to the neat systems of the grammar books.
“Further north up Frith Street is Bar Italia whose customers are also mainly Italian, but more proletarian. There’s a jukebox to help the unbuttoned atmosphere.”
He then talks about The Marrakesh in Rupert Street that he says is “one of Soho’s classier joints and, in the evening after the show, is a favoured haunt of the gay young things.
“Small and friendly is Times Square in Newport Court. There you can often hear muscle boys gravely discussing the finder points of their lats and pecs.”
Gaggia coffee had taken off so much that Gaggia even had a showroom at its own Gaggia House at 10 Dean Street in Soho.
Fellow journalist Elwyn Jones saw coffee as an art form.
“All have decors that have been deliberately designed and which are consistently stimulating and alive,” he wrote. “They are, as it were, three dimensional stage backdrops with the people and the food and the coffee real, not faked.
“The bright lights of the coffee machine dominate them.”
So, for the sake of nostalgia, here’s a list of the 20-plus bars in Soho that served coffee from Gaggia espresso machines in those bygone days of the mid-50s.
San Marco, Lexington Street
La Ronde, Poland Street
The Gargoyle Club, Meard Street
The Mandrake Club, Meard Street
The Marrakesh, Rupert Street
The Tahiti Club, Shaftesbury Avenue,
The K&K, Macclesfield Street
The Can Can, Hanway Street
The Moulin Rouge, Hanway Street
Moka Bar, Frith Street
Pinocchio, Frith Street
Times Square, Newport Court
The Kaleidoscope, Gerrard Street,
La Fiesta, Gerrard Street,
The Chapingo, Peter Street,
Orlando’s, Old Compton Street
The Two I’s, Old Compton Street
Prego, Old Compton Street
The Moka-ris, Dean Street,
Court Snack Bar, Dean Street
Daniellis, Dean Street
Number 93, Dean Street
The Fresserie, Berwick Street
Sabrina, Wardour Street
Café Britannique, Wardour Street
Capitelli, Beak Street
Gaggia coffee machines revolutionised society in the 1950s with Soho in London leading the way as the birthplace of British espresso culture.
This year marks 75 since the first Gaggia coffee machines arrived in the UK and Gaggia UK has unearthed news stories and adverts from that time capturing the excitement behind the new craze.
The place that’s widely accepted as starting it all was the Moka Bar in Frith Street. This was somewhere teenagers too young for pubs could gather and is thought by some to have prompted the youth culture explosion that soon changed social life in Britain forever.
In those early days a few were begrudging coffee fans such as the author John Sutherland, who recalls: “The Gaggia machine, a great burbling, wheezing, spluttering monster would excrete some bitter caffeinated essence. It would be swamped with steamed-milk foam and dusted with chocolate to form its ‘cappuccino’ hood. Glass cups and brown sugar (lots of it) were de rigueur. Frankly, 50s espresso was no taste thrill but it felt smart as hell.”
Well, Gaggia’s certainly a taste thrill these days with a wide range of state-of-the-art machines ideal for use in people’s own homes.
Journalist Frank Jackson wrote in the 1950s: “The honour of being the very first espresso bar in London is proudly, fiercely and appropriately claimed by Soho’s Moka in Frith Street. They certainly started something.
“Ever since, espresso bars have mushroomed up in all the more cosmopolitan districts of the Smoke.
“The espresso bars have brought back to London a leisurely sociability which was in danger of being lost. You can sit as long as you like over your cup of coffee without being chivvied.
“Out of those weird machines like huge, gleaming table radios with knobs on comes a good, strong brew which Continental visitors can recognise as coffee.”
Frank sure had a way with words with his descriptions of the folk you’d meet at Moka and the nearby Bar Italia which is still going strong today.
He added: “At the Moka you can brush up on your Italian as you try, rather desperately, to eavesdrop on voluble conversations which seem to bear small relation to the neat systems of the grammar books.
“Further north up Frith Street is Bar Italia whose customers are also mainly Italian, but more proletarian. There’s a jukebox to help the unbuttoned atmosphere.”
He then talks about The Marrakesh in Rupert Street that he says is “one of Soho’s classier joints and, in the evening after the show, is a favoured haunt of the gay young things.
“Small and friendly is Times Square in Newport Court. There you can often hear muscle boys gravely discussing the finder points of their lats and pecs.”
Gaggia coffee had taken off so much that Gaggia even had a showroom at its own Gaggia House at 10 Dean Street in Soho.
Fellow journalist Elwyn Jones saw coffee as an art form.
“All have decors that have been deliberately designed and which are consistently stimulating and alive,” he wrote. “They are, as it were, three dimensional stage backdrops with the people and the food and the coffee real, not faked.
“The bright lights of the coffee machine dominate them.”
So, for the sake of nostalgia, here’s a list of the 20-plus bars in Soho that served coffee from Gaggia espresso machines in those bygone days of the mid-50s.
San Marco, Lexington Street
La Ronde, Poland Street
The Gargoyle Club, Meard Street
The Mandrake Club, Meard Street
The Marrakesh, Rupert Street
The Tahiti Club, Shaftesbury Avenue,
The K&K, Macclesfield Street
The Can Can, Hanway Street
The Moulin Rouge, Hanway Street
Moka Bar, Frith Street
Pinocchio, Frith Street
Times Square, Newport Court
The Kaleidoscope, Gerrard Street,
La Fiesta, Gerrard Street,
The Chapingo, Peter Street,
Orlando’s, Old Compton Street
The Two I’s, Old Compton Street
Prego, Old Compton Street
The Moka-ris, Dean Street,
Court Snack Bar, Dean Street
Daniellis, Dean Street
Number 93, Dean Street
The Fresserie, Berwick Street
Sabrina, Wardour Street
Café Britannique, Wardour Street
Capitelli, Beak Street
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How Gaggia sparked the start of the coffee revolution in the UK 75 years ago
It’s a major milestone in the Gaggia story and intrinsically linked with a legendary part of one of London’s best-known districts.
This year, 2025, marks 75 years since Gaggia coffee machines were first sold in the UK and Soho quickly became synonymous with the new taste that started to replace centuries of tea drinking.
In 1950 people’s experience of coffee was limited to instant granules – a far cry from the range and quality you can get today.
So the taste of freshly brewed coffee from the latest high technology café coffee machines imported from Milan in Italy blew their tastebuds as well as their minds.
Soho is in the heart of London’s West End surrounded by theatre, arts, culture, fashion, free-thinking … everything that fired Britons’ imaginations in the coming years as they started to move away from the austerity forced on them by the Second World War and its aftermath.
People sought an escape, a new beginning and coffee absolutely defined this – a spectacular taste dispensed from sleek, stylish espresso coffee machines accompanied by the telltale hiss of steam and the clatter of porcelain cups.
The centre of attention became the Gaggia machines in coffee bars such as Bar Italia in Frith Street which served the British public with something they’d never seen before - espresso topped with a golden layer of crema. Bar Italia has since become one of the world’s best known cafes yet still only uses Gaggia coffee machines.
Gaggia had transformed drinking coffee into a true experience verging on performance art - dramatic, aromatic and utterly continental. Word spread quickly and Gaggia machines quickly became the centrepiece of Soho’s growing network of coffee bars, each one buzzing with music, conversation and energy.
Everything about the coffee bars was new and exciting with bright, modern décor and jukeboxes playing the latest hits along with Italian waiters adding to the authenticity of the experience.
Students, actors and musicians flocked to these bars which became meeting places for creatives, rebels and romantics — a scene so dynamic that the Daily Mirror dubbed it “the espresso revolution.”
Just as the West End theatres a short walk away entertained audiences with dazzling performances, the Soho coffee bar offered its own kind of artistry. The barista was the performer, the machine his instrument and the espresso hiss his applause.
By the late 1950s London boasted hundreds of coffee bars and Gaggia machines were at the heart of many of them such as The 2i’s Coffee Bar where future rock ’n’ roll stars such as Cliff Richard, Hank Marvin and Tommy Steele played in the basement with the likes of Diana Dors, Michael Caine and Terence Stamp among its clientele.
Then there were the stylish hangouts like The Moka Coffee Bar founded in 1953 by Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida at 29 Frith Street.
By then the espresso bar had become a symbol of freedom and modernity.
This was coffee as culture, as lifestyle — and Gaggia was right there, shaping Britain’s first taste of it.
And Gaggia remains at the heart of this lasting legacy with hundreds of thousands of Gaggia coffee machines now in people’s homes throughout the UK. making Gaggia as relevant and brand-leading today as it was back then.
It’s a major milestone in the Gaggia story and intrinsically linked with a legendary part of one of London’s best-known districts.
This year, 2025, marks 75 years since Gaggia coffee machines were first sold in the UK and Soho quickly became synonymous with the new taste that started to replace centuries of tea drinking.
In 1950 people’s experience of coffee was limited to instant granules – a far cry from the range and quality you can get today.
So the taste of freshly brewed coffee from the latest high technology café coffee machines imported from Milan in Italy blew their tastebuds as well as their minds.
Soho is in the heart of London’s West End surrounded by theatre, arts, culture, fashion, free-thinking … everything that fired Britons’ imaginations in the coming years as they started to move away from the austerity forced on them by the Second World War and its aftermath.
People sought an escape, a new beginning and coffee absolutely defined this – a spectacular taste dispensed from sleek, stylish espresso coffee machines accompanied by the telltale hiss of steam and the clatter of porcelain cups.
The centre of attention became the Gaggia machines in coffee bars such as Bar Italia in Frith Street which served the British public with something they’d never seen before - espresso topped with a golden layer of crema. Bar Italia has since become one of the world’s best known cafes yet still only uses Gaggia coffee machines.
Gaggia had transformed drinking coffee into a true experience verging on performance art - dramatic, aromatic and utterly continental. Word spread quickly and Gaggia machines quickly became the centrepiece of Soho’s growing network of coffee bars, each one buzzing with music, conversation and energy.
Everything about the coffee bars was new and exciting with bright, modern décor and jukeboxes playing the latest hits along with Italian waiters adding to the authenticity of the experience.
Students, actors and musicians flocked to these bars which became meeting places for creatives, rebels and romantics — a scene so dynamic that the Daily Mirror dubbed it “the espresso revolution.”
Just as the West End theatres a short walk away entertained audiences with dazzling performances, the Soho coffee bar offered its own kind of artistry. The barista was the performer, the machine his instrument and the espresso hiss his applause.
By the late 1950s London boasted hundreds of coffee bars and Gaggia machines were at the heart of many of them such as The 2i’s Coffee Bar where future rock ’n’ roll stars such as Cliff Richard, Hank Marvin and Tommy Steele played in the basement with the likes of Diana Dors, Michael Caine and Terence Stamp among its clientele.
Then there were the stylish hangouts like The Moka Coffee Bar founded in 1953 by Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida at 29 Frith Street.
By then the espresso bar had become a symbol of freedom and modernity.
This was coffee as culture, as lifestyle — and Gaggia was right there, shaping Britain’s first taste of it.
And Gaggia remains at the heart of this lasting legacy with hundreds of thousands of Gaggia coffee machines now in people’s homes throughout the UK. making Gaggia as relevant and brand-leading today as it was back then.
Stylish Gaggia coffee machine revealed as the best in Britain by T3 Magazine
A national magazine has just named a Gaggia coffee machine as the ultimate one for coffee lovers.
Lifestyle technology magazine T3 – which carries out comprehensive reviews on gadgets – says the Gaggia Accademia is the top bean to coffee machine.
It was up against strong competition such as the Jura J10 and the KitchenAid KF8 but pipped them both to win.
T3 states: “Gaggia’s style and unique barista-orientated features really gave it the edge. With exceptional quality controls, a cup warmer and solid water filtration, the Accademia is an absolute master of the classics.”
The T3 in-depth review says: “Gaggia’s pedigree and expertise has helped it build some fantastic automated bean-to-cup espresso machines.
“Why is the Gaggia Accademia so good? Well, the Accademia features a fully-fledged independent steam wand. You still have access to a filled, fully automated milk carafe capable of auto-steaming you a latte, cappuccino or flat white, but the fact this thing has its own dedicated unit for those skilled enough to pour swans and texture their own milk is an awesome addition and works surprisingly well, being versatile enough to ensure that crisp, smooth milk each and every time.
“Coffee quality is impressive as well. Using our house blend beans it delivered a taste profile that wasn’t a million miles away from a professional setup. The Accademia actually has the ability to adjust the grind size, making it finer or coarser depending on your needs.”
The review adds: “Tech features are broad too with each drink fully customisable with options for pre-brewing, milk foam density, temperature, aroma and more. There’s a lot here which is great to see without it being too complex.”
Gaggia UK managing director Raj Beadle said: “It’s quite something to come out on top in a T3 review as they dive deeply into everything they review.
“Winning is a great testament to the Gaggia designers and engineers who always produce coffee machines that are so stylish they always have a wow factor but are also incredibly robust and reliable too.”
Lifestyle technology magazine T3 – which carries out comprehensive reviews on gadgets – says the Gaggia Accademia is the top bean to coffee machine.
It was up against strong competition such as the Jura J10 and the KitchenAid KF8 but pipped them both to win.
T3 states: “Gaggia’s style and unique barista-orientated features really gave it the edge. With exceptional quality controls, a cup warmer and solid water filtration, the Accademia is an absolute master of the classics.”
The T3 in-depth review says: “Gaggia’s pedigree and expertise has helped it build some fantastic automated bean-to-cup espresso machines.
“Why is the Gaggia Accademia so good? Well, the Accademia features a fully-fledged independent steam wand. You still have access to a filled, fully automated milk carafe capable of auto-steaming you a latte, cappuccino or flat white, but the fact this thing has its own dedicated unit for those skilled enough to pour swans and texture their own milk is an awesome addition and works surprisingly well, being versatile enough to ensure that crisp, smooth milk each and every time.
“Coffee quality is impressive as well. Using our house blend beans it delivered a taste profile that wasn’t a million miles away from a professional setup. The Accademia actually has the ability to adjust the grind size, making it finer or coarser depending on your needs.”
The review adds: “Tech features are broad too with each drink fully customisable with options for pre-brewing, milk foam density, temperature, aroma and more. There’s a lot here which is great to see without it being too complex.”
Gaggia UK managing director Raj Beadle said: “It’s quite something to come out on top in a T3 review as they dive deeply into everything they review.
“Winning is a great testament to the Gaggia designers and engineers who always produce coffee machines that are so stylish they always have a wow factor but are also incredibly robust and reliable too.”
Billy Matthews loves nothing better than taking his Gaggia Classic coffee machine apart and then cleaning or modifying it.
The 28-year-old NHS health professional from Bournemouth didn’t even have a ‘proper’ cup of coffee until 3 years ago, but it gave him that ‘eureka’ moment that’s led to a fascination with coffee, especially Gaggia machines.
Now he’s known across social media as The Coffee Bill, making his own videos using Gaggia coffee machines.
His forte is also showing people how to modify and maintain their Gaggia machines to be sure of the very best performance at all times.
He even got his hands on one Gaggia machine that hadn’t be cleaned since it was bought back in 2007 and shows just how mucked up a coffee shower screen and boiler can get - causing the water to dribble all over the place - yet how easy it can be to clean. It takes just one bolt and a few minutes.
Billy – who has worked in cancer care in his ‘day job’ and will soon start a new role with stroke patients - said: “My deep love of coffee all started when I was staying with a friend in London in 2022 and he asked if I wanted a cup of coffee so I said a cup of instant would be great.
“But he had an espresso machine and made me a flat white which was by far the greatest cup of coffee I’d ever had. It was the best flavour, the best texture, everything about it was brilliant and I thought about that coffee all day.”
The coffee had not just sparked an interest, it sparked an obsession and a quest for Billy to learn all he could about coffee.
After a year experimenting with a second-hand coffee machine, Billy felt he was ready to take it to another level and his local coffee shop – the Seventh Seal in Dorchester – highly recommended the Gaggia Classic.
Billy has never looked back since getting his Classic.
“The coffee from a Gaggia Classic can be exquisite and it took me on a great learning curve, accelerating my knowledge,” said Billy. “I now have a deep passion for brewing and learning while sharing everything I’ve discovered along the way.
“The Gaggia Classic strikes the perfect balance of great performance out of the box yet is highly customisable for those who want to take things further. The huge community around it and its strong reputation make it the ideal machine to start - and grow - with.”
Billy does his own videos which he publishes mainly on Instagram and YouTube, showing people how to properly clean and descale their Gaggia – including how often to do it and the best products to use – as well as how to modify or upgrade your Gaggia yourself.
One shows the installation of the wonderfully named Proportional Integral Derivative - thankfully PID for short - to give complete control over the water temperature.
Billy, who has 6,554 followers on Instagram, adds: “I’m never happier than when I’m stripping down a Gaggia coffee machine to see how it all works. I think people have a fear of fear itself when it comes to anything technical but I take them through it step by step and it really isn’t as daunting as they think.
“Everyone needs to learn how to clean and descale their Gaggia coffee machine regularly and then take the short time needed to make it happen.”
One follower, Lucas Hutton, said: “I went through this exact process two years ago and fixed my parents’ machine that had been sat around for like a decade.”
That’s the problem. Many coffee machines lying around unused often only need a good clean to get them going again.
Billy also loves to inject humour into his videos.
In one he places his Gaggia Classic coffee machine in front of world coffee expert James Hoffman doing a presentation on the TV, imploring it to learn how to make great coffee.
“That one did well, better than expected,” said Billy.
He’s just been filming a review of the new Gaggia GT coffee machine which will be out soon on his YouTube channel.
And one of Billy’s videos goes into the joys of decaf coffee.
“Decaffeinated coffee can get a bad reputation but I can’t understand why,” says Billy. “Decaf beans have a lot of flavour to give but I talk about why it’s so easy to over extract from them in the video.”
In short, Billy’s coffee philosophy is simple.
“Coffee can be a great way to destress if you have a stressful life,” he says. “It certainly helps me.”
To see Billy in action go to
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/the.coffee.bill
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@TheCoffeeBill
Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@thecoffeebill
The 28-year-old NHS health professional from Bournemouth didn’t even have a ‘proper’ cup of coffee until 3 years ago, but it gave him that ‘eureka’ moment that’s led to a fascination with coffee, especially Gaggia machines.
Now he’s known across social media as The Coffee Bill, making his own videos using Gaggia coffee machines.
His forte is also showing people how to modify and maintain their Gaggia machines to be sure of the very best performance at all times.
He even got his hands on one Gaggia machine that hadn’t be cleaned since it was bought back in 2007 and shows just how mucked up a coffee shower screen and boiler can get - causing the water to dribble all over the place - yet how easy it can be to clean. It takes just one bolt and a few minutes.
Billy – who has worked in cancer care in his ‘day job’ and will soon start a new role with stroke patients - said: “My deep love of coffee all started when I was staying with a friend in London in 2022 and he asked if I wanted a cup of coffee so I said a cup of instant would be great.
“But he had an espresso machine and made me a flat white which was by far the greatest cup of coffee I’d ever had. It was the best flavour, the best texture, everything about it was brilliant and I thought about that coffee all day.”
The coffee had not just sparked an interest, it sparked an obsession and a quest for Billy to learn all he could about coffee.
After a year experimenting with a second-hand coffee machine, Billy felt he was ready to take it to another level and his local coffee shop – the Seventh Seal in Dorchester – highly recommended the Gaggia Classic.
Billy has never looked back since getting his Classic.
“The coffee from a Gaggia Classic can be exquisite and it took me on a great learning curve, accelerating my knowledge,” said Billy. “I now have a deep passion for brewing and learning while sharing everything I’ve discovered along the way.
“The Gaggia Classic strikes the perfect balance of great performance out of the box yet is highly customisable for those who want to take things further. The huge community around it and its strong reputation make it the ideal machine to start - and grow - with.”
Billy does his own videos which he publishes mainly on Instagram and YouTube, showing people how to properly clean and descale their Gaggia – including how often to do it and the best products to use – as well as how to modify or upgrade your Gaggia yourself.
One shows the installation of the wonderfully named Proportional Integral Derivative - thankfully PID for short - to give complete control over the water temperature.
Billy, who has 6,554 followers on Instagram, adds: “I’m never happier than when I’m stripping down a Gaggia coffee machine to see how it all works. I think people have a fear of fear itself when it comes to anything technical but I take them through it step by step and it really isn’t as daunting as they think.
“Everyone needs to learn how to clean and descale their Gaggia coffee machine regularly and then take the short time needed to make it happen.”
One follower, Lucas Hutton, said: “I went through this exact process two years ago and fixed my parents’ machine that had been sat around for like a decade.”
That’s the problem. Many coffee machines lying around unused often only need a good clean to get them going again.
Billy also loves to inject humour into his videos.
In one he places his Gaggia Classic coffee machine in front of world coffee expert James Hoffman doing a presentation on the TV, imploring it to learn how to make great coffee.
“That one did well, better than expected,” said Billy.
He’s just been filming a review of the new Gaggia GT coffee machine which will be out soon on his YouTube channel.
And one of Billy’s videos goes into the joys of decaf coffee.
“Decaffeinated coffee can get a bad reputation but I can’t understand why,” says Billy. “Decaf beans have a lot of flavour to give but I talk about why it’s so easy to over extract from them in the video.”
In short, Billy’s coffee philosophy is simple.
“Coffee can be a great way to destress if you have a stressful life,” he says. “It certainly helps me.”
To see Billy in action go to
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/the.coffee.bill
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@TheCoffeeBill
Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@thecoffeebill
Why Coffee Kev who runs the Coffee Blog says it’s ‘got to be a Gaggia’
Kev Lewis is one of the UK’s leading independent coffee reviewers and his first ever espresso coffee machine was a Gaggia.
He knows Gaggia UK well and will always suggest people get a machine from Gaggia due to its phenomenal customer service and the fact its experts are always on hand to help.
Kev says: “The reason I always recommend Gaggia Direct when I’m talking about Gaggia machines is that I genuinely believe these are the best people in the UK to buy the machines from. They stock the machines here in the UK, you can simply call them if you have a problem and they have engineers in-house to fix any problems.
“They are the guys who offer the Gaggia warranty in the UK too so if you buy any official Gaggia UK machine (not a grey import with a plug adapter) they will be the guys responsible for your warranty.
“I’ve spent time at their building in Elland near Halifax and I’ve seen and heard them interacting with new and existing customers. Even managing director Raj Beadle answers the calls and gives advice which is amazing - I’ve never heard of this happening anywhere else before.
“People don’t appreciate how rare yet how important that is to have a main dealer who offers such excellent sales support from a team with such an in-depth knowledge of the entire Gaggia range.
“I’ve also had a lot of feedback from fellow coffee botherers who are customers of theirs and, as a result, I’m always very comfortable to recommend them.”
Kev, 47, lives in Stockport and his YouTube channel studio is based at Alderley Edge in Cheshire near Manchester Airport, along with his coffee sales business The Coffee Works (https://www.cworks.co.uk) which supplies freshly roasted coffee beans.
It all began in 2015 when Kev was bought a cafetière for his birthday and wrote a review about it. When he realised he’d notched up 2,000 words he realised there may be a blog in it so he set up his own blog – simply called Coffee Blog (https://coffeeblog.co.uk), followed by his own Coffee Kev YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@Coffee_Kev) where he has almost 68,000 subscribers. You can also catch him on Instagram at @ukcoffeeblog
Yes, you’ve probably guessed by now that Kev is a ‘details guy.’ When he reviews coffee machines it’s in-depth but not overly technical so anyone – whatever their knowledge of coffee machines – can follow it.
He says: “It’s not that simple buying a coffee machine any more as there are so many out there to choose from so my blogs are often designed to provide useful information to those looking for help. I try to give a lot of detail.”
Kev has a strict set of testing criteria – such as how hot the water is, how long it takes to reach that temperature and the loudness of each machine which he measures on his decibel meter.
Apart from his videos presentations, Kev also writes it down in the blog so coffee lovers can see what he’s saying at a glance and also remind themselves of specifications and machine dimensions later.
He’ll use a coffee machine he’s going to review for at least a couple of weeks before he writes a word so gets to know it really well.
“There’s certainly a lot of effort behind each piece of coffee content I do,” says Kev. “Doing a full review can easily take the best part of a couple of days.”
And the style certainly works supremely well with Kev now reaching 2 million users a year.
Kev, who went through the Speciality Coffee Association barista training to improve his general coffee knowledge, said: “The first espresso machine I bought was a 2003 Gaggia Classic which I purchased in 2016. It was built like a tank and absolutely spot on.”
He set up The Coffee Works when he had trouble sourcing unusual or speciality coffees and his biggest seller – coincidentally his own favourite which he drinks every day – is the chocolate brownie blend.
The business began with 4 coffees and now has 23 - they roast the beans every day and grind to order, if required, so every bag sent out is guaranteed fresh.
Kev adds: “I think our best coffee for bean to cup machines is the chocolate fondant which is more edgy and has something of a kick.”
His range veers from a classic Italian blend to a Millionaires Shortbread Honduras blend, a Marzipan Truffle and even an Apple Pie and Custard Half Caffeine.
When it comes to the Gaggia range Kev reckons people wanting a manual machine should always go for the Gaggia Classic and, for the bean to cup machine, opt for the Gaggia Brera.
So there you are … go get a Gaggia!
Kevin's Page on Gaggia
Kev Lewis is one of the UK’s leading independent coffee reviewers and his first ever espresso coffee machine was a Gaggia.
He knows Gaggia UK well and will always suggest people get a machine from Gaggia due to its phenomenal customer service and the fact its experts are always on hand to help.
Kev says: “The reason I always recommend Gaggia Direct when I’m talking about Gaggia machines is that I genuinely believe these are the best people in the UK to buy the machines from. They stock the machines here in the UK, you can simply call them if you have a problem and they have engineers in-house to fix any problems.
“They are the guys who offer the Gaggia warranty in the UK too so if you buy any official Gaggia UK machine (not a grey import with a plug adapter) they will be the guys responsible for your warranty.
“I’ve spent time at their building in Elland near Halifax and I’ve seen and heard them interacting with new and existing customers. Even managing director Raj Beadle answers the calls and gives advice which is amazing - I’ve never heard of this happening anywhere else before.
“People don’t appreciate how rare yet how important that is to have a main dealer who offers such excellent sales support from a team with such an in-depth knowledge of the entire Gaggia range.
“I’ve also had a lot of feedback from fellow coffee botherers who are customers of theirs and, as a result, I’m always very comfortable to recommend them.”
Kev, 47, lives in Stockport and his YouTube channel studio is based at Alderley Edge in Cheshire near Manchester Airport, along with his coffee sales business The Coffee Works (https://www.cworks.co.uk) which supplies freshly roasted coffee beans.
It all began in 2015 when Kev was bought a cafetière for his birthday and wrote a review about it. When he realised he’d notched up 2,000 words he realised there may be a blog in it so he set up his own blog – simply called Coffee Blog (https://coffeeblog.co.uk), followed by his own Coffee Kev YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@Coffee_Kev) where he has almost 68,000 subscribers. You can also catch him on Instagram at @ukcoffeeblog
Yes, you’ve probably guessed by now that Kev is a ‘details guy.’ When he reviews coffee machines it’s in-depth but not overly technical so anyone – whatever their knowledge of coffee machines – can follow it.
He says: “It’s not that simple buying a coffee machine any more as there are so many out there to choose from so my blogs are often designed to provide useful information to those looking for help. I try to give a lot of detail.”
Kev has a strict set of testing criteria – such as how hot the water is, how long it takes to reach that temperature and the loudness of each machine which he measures on his decibel meter.
Apart from his videos presentations, Kev also writes it down in the blog so coffee lovers can see what he’s saying at a glance and also remind themselves of specifications and machine dimensions later.
He’ll use a coffee machine he’s going to review for at least a couple of weeks before he writes a word so gets to know it really well.
“There’s certainly a lot of effort behind each piece of coffee content I do,” says Kev. “Doing a full review can easily take the best part of a couple of days.”
And the style certainly works supremely well with Kev now reaching 2 million users a year.
Kev, who went through the Speciality Coffee Association barista training to improve his general coffee knowledge, said: “The first espresso machine I bought was a 2003 Gaggia Classic which I purchased in 2016. It was built like a tank and absolutely spot on.”
He set up The Coffee Works when he had trouble sourcing unusual or speciality coffees and his biggest seller – coincidentally his own favourite which he drinks every day – is the chocolate brownie blend.
The business began with 4 coffees and now has 23 - they roast the beans every day and grind to order, if required, so every bag sent out is guaranteed fresh.
Kev adds: “I think our best coffee for bean to cup machines is the chocolate fondant which is more edgy and has something of a kick.”
His range veers from a classic Italian blend to a Millionaires Shortbread Honduras blend, a Marzipan Truffle and even an Apple Pie and Custard Half Caffeine.
When it comes to the Gaggia range Kev reckons people wanting a manual machine should always go for the Gaggia Classic and, for the bean to cup machine, opt for the Gaggia Brera.
So there you are … go get a Gaggia!
Kevin's Page on Gaggia
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Hello, my name is Raj Beadle. I am the author of this blog. I am the owner and managing director of Caffe Shop Ltd - Gaggia UK. We represent Gaggia spa in the UK and are the exclusive distributor of Gaggia in the UK. We also directly retail via our website www.gaggiadirect.com and also through our own retail shops.
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