Coffey & Cake

Your guide to great coffee

Mandela Day Coffee Challenge

I am extremely excited to share this Mandela Day Coffee Challenge blog post with you, as it includes two of my favourite aspects of life… generosity and coffee. As many of us know the 18th of July is Mandela Day and each year we are encouraged to spend 67 minutes giving back or making a difference generously. This year a few of the coffee shops around Durban, Upper Highway and PMB have hopped on board with Ingane Yami Children’s Village to make a difference throughout the month of July.

Yes you read right; for the whole of July, when you buy a coffee at one of these coffee shops, 67c of the cost will be donated to Ingane Yami as part of the Mandela Day Coffee Challenge.

The coffee shops to get to are…

Upper Highway
Lineage, Hillcrest & Waterfall
Jooma, Kloof
Caffe Mobile, Shongweni Farmers Market
Sprigs, Kloof
Sam’s Cafe, Kloof
Bellevue, Kloof
Stretta, Hillcrest
Oscars, Hillcrest
Juice Kitchen, Hillcrest
Go Coffee Café, Assagay
I Love my Coffee, Kloof
Assagay Coffee, Cato Ridge/Inchange
Curro HCA School, Hillcrest
Market Cafe, Hillcrest
Highbury School, Hillcrest

Durban:
Jacksonville
The Boiler Room

Durban north:
Zucca
Colombo (July 18 only)

PMB:
Empire Coffee

How awesome is that! Come on KZN, let’s support this generously and make a difference to the lives of the children at Ingane Yami. This is our challenge for the month of July, not just Mandela Day. Get yourself a coffee at one of the above coffee shops and you’ll be supporting a great cause.

A bit more info about Ingani Yami

Ingane Yami Children’s Village is just over the hill, in Shongweni, and has a powerful impact by rescuing and restoring the lives of previously orphaned and abandoned children. Ingane Yami is bringing change right on our door steps.

For more information about Ingane Yami have a look at their website: www.inganeyami.com. To enquire more about this initiative, you can contact Patricia Deacon on [email protected].

Parkside Durban

There is a new coffee shop open at the Station Drive precinct in Durban, and it’s called Parkside. Yes they are pouring silky smooth and oh-so tasty espresso shots, using Colombo Coffee beans. You’ll find Parkside in The Station at 39 Station Drive, which is just off Umgeni Road in Morningside.

I may be slightly obsessed with this interior… especially the black and copper/rose gold coffee machine!

The Station is a creative new space in the precinct, and is home to designer, vintage wear, photographers and good coffee. Parkside have free wifi so it is a great spot to get to those emails while enjoying a cup of coffee. Also, make sure you take cash or have the Zapper app to pay for your coffee as they don’t have card facilities at present.

Run by Dan, Parkside also offer an assortment of fresh and healthy lunches. From salads, to quiches, and more healthy goodness, Parkside fits right into the healthy lifestyle of Durban.

There are two tables inside The Station and a few places to sit on the verge outside, which really makes Parkside a unique Durban experience. The Station owner, Paul Basson, and his team have plans for an art park outside so this precinct really is starting to boom into something proudly authentic for Durban.

So the next time you have a moment or are in the Morningside area, get to Parkside and grab a coffee to go or sit down for coffee and lunch.

You can follow Parkside on Facebook at Parkside Durban.

Parkside is open Monday to Friday 7am - 4pm and on Sundays from 8am - 1pm.

The NEW Home of Colombo Coffee

You may have seen me posting all over Facebook and Instagram about the new home of Colombo Coffee. Well I’m updating all my blog readers too. The map has been updated and you can now find Colombo Coffee at Shop 1, 59 Kensington Drive (also known as Adelaide Tambo Drive), Durban North. The cafe is perched in the front, serving their usual exceptional coffee, and they will be roasting coffee from the back of the shop.

Factory Cafe and Colombo Coffee & Tea have merged as one and moved from their previous downtown Glenwood location to this spot in Durban North. They have muffins, donuts and cake on sale and a small menu of toasted sarmies for lunch.

I took a few pictures while I was there. Here’s what it’s looking like.

Look out for Union Square (the burger joint), park your car and walk into that centre and you’ll find Colombo Coffee just behind them. I’m sure I will see you there at some point as this is my favourite coffee in Durban and now they are just down the road from me. #yesplease

The Pregnant Coffee Blogger

The news is out, this coffee blogger is pregnant. After 16 weeks I am once again able to indulge in warm beverages. Not regularly, however up until now all I have been able to drink is cold water, milk and actually just anything cold and refreshing. Not the ideal situation for a coffee blogger but I always knew it would be a difficult one with all the caffeine warnings out there for pregnant women.

Illustration by Paige Bates

So I had to do the research because as some of you know, I am going to Australia to visit a bunch of coffee shops in June! Yes the pregnant coffee blogger is doing a coffee tour down under. LUCKILY my husband is as big (if not bigger) a coffee nerd as I am. So regulation is decaf or no more than 1 cup of coffee a day. Some espresso has a higher dose of caffeine than others so we’ll be ordering one to share wherever we go so I can get the tastes in at all the great coffee shops we’ll visit.

I’d love to hear from the coffee lovers out there who have experienced pregnancy and the joys of cutting down on coffee. Any tips?

I must admit I am not one who HAS to have a coffee first thing in the morning. I actually rarely drink coffee at home. I like to save the experience for a good coffee shop so I can really enjoy it and share that experience with my readers.

So the next 6 months should be great fun as we count down to meeting our little coffee bean. I’ll be documenting our Australia trip on Instagram so make sure you’re following me @pipsrowney and when I return I will have SO many awesome spots to share on my blog and coffee map. I cannot wait.

Love Cupcakes

Do you love cupcakes? So does Melisha! Introducing you to one of Durban’s very talented cake makers. Melisha runs Love Cupcakes on the sidelines of her everyday fashion design job. I first saw one of Melisha’s cakes on Instagram and had to get in touch with her to hear more about her business. So here is a little interview I did with the owner of Love Cupcakes, and some more pictures of her delicious cakes at the end.

Tell me a bit about yourself. Who is the woman behind Love Cupcakes?

I’m from Durban and I’m 33 years old. I am a fashion designer by profession, so I am creative by nature. For me baking is another creative outlet.

How did Love Cupcakes start?

Baking was always hobby that I loved to do and when I moved to Jhb in 2008, I found myself in between jobs, and so my hobby turned into a business. When I returned to Durban 3 years later, I continued my business part time, whilst juggling being a full time Designer. This of course has resulted in many sleepless nights!

What are your dreams and goals for Love Cupcakes?

Currently I offer customized cupcakes and cakes on a pre order basis. My client base has grown considerably over the years, and I’m looking forward to growing my business further by catering to more functions and events.

What is your favourite cake flavour?

Definitely chocolate and tiramisu.

Cream cheese or butter icing?

Neither. Chocolate ganache any day.

Share your funniest story in the kitchen.

Well, living in Durban, everyone’s knows that we have the best weather. But come summer rainy season, with humidity levels reaching peak levels, it is nightmare trying to work with fondant. Humidity and fondant do not go! I was doing a fondant cake last year feb for a party, which I was also attending. By the time I finished, the fondant was melting. I decided to stick the cake in the fridge…huge mistake as it started to condense when I took it out. One hour before delivery, I had to google what to do with this sticky, sweaty disaster of a cake and saw that the best solution was to put the cake in front of a fan. Luckily this helped dry out the fondant and the cake looked great! I on the other hand, looked like a stressed out, hot and bothered, sweaty chicken without a head trying to get ready and go to the party!

How can people get in touch with you? (blog/website/social media handles)

On Facebook @lovecupcakes , and Instagram @lovecupcakesdurban.

Email: [email protected]

What events do you cater for?

Birthdays, baby showers, weddings and kiddies parties .

If you could bake a cake for anyone in the world, who would it be and why?

It would be Bono! But only if I get to sit and have cake and coffee with him:-D I think that would be an interesting conversation. He’s always been an inspiration to me.

Phew from reading that I am now craving some chocolate cake. How about you?

So now you know, and if you are having an event contact Melisha about her cakes. She also has a new website which will be up soon and you can find that at www.lovecupcakes.co.za.

Let’s end this post of with a little teaser of some of the work Melisha has done.