Coffee Buzz at West Hampstead Thameslink station is one of 48 shortlisted cafes hoping to be voted Britain’s top railway station business.
The so called ‘World Cup of Stations’ will be decided by a public vote which opens on Monday (October 14), with the winner announced on October 21.
According to its website, Coffee Buzz is run by two “dynamic, experienced and passionate founders” and boasts “perfectly brewed single origin coffee from a small farm in Brazil”.
It describes staff as “lovely friendly baristas who know your name and drink – offering the lift you need to help you through your day”.
James Rushton who has past experience at Starbucks, Wetherspoons and Pizza Express, and songwriter and music producer Steve Daly have combined their experience to run the cafe, which has a sister site at Blackfriars and is due to open a third at Chancery Lane.
“Steve ran a number of horsebox coffee shops, James had a converted coffee van. Steve was James’s second most regular customer according to the loyalty app before the two decided to join forces to create BUZZ COFFEE,” the website adds.
Coffee Buzz prides itself on sustainability, serving sun dried beans that are shipped and roasted via low carbon methods. All packaging is biodegradable, the milk comes from grass-fed cows near the owners’ home, and the pastries are baked daily a little way up the line in Hackney.
Coffee Buzz is up against cafes in Richmond, Thornton Heath and Bowes Park for the London heat, with customers voting from Monday at www.raildeliverygroup.com/WorldCupOfStations.
Last year’s competition saw over 72,000 votes cast across 12 heats, with Wemyss Bay in Scotland taking the crown.
The competition has been running since 2019 and is organised by the Rail Delivery Group to celebrate the importance of railways in boosting communities and local economies.
Jenny Saunders, customer services director at Govia Thameslink, said: “Our station businesses are part of us and the communities we serve. We wish everyone of them shortlisted for this exciting contest all the very best!”
Jacqueline Starr, chief executive officer of Rail Delivery Group, said: “Local businesses in stations up and down the country are at the very heart of the communities they serve, and we want to shine a light on the very best.
“All of the stations nominated are making a positive impact on their local community, and the variety of businesses at stations is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the staff.”