Love cars, love coffee? Welcome to the global phenomenon that is cars & coffee, where everyone is invited to join in their two favourite pastimes. As more gatherings start to take place on these shores, we show you where you can catch up with fellow enthusiasts at eight of the UK’s best cars & coffee venues.
Cars & coffee: a classic combo
With the rise of the UK cars & coffee scene, more of us each year are discovering the magic formula of sunny mornings, a great coffee, head-turning vehicles and relaxed conversation. If you’ve yet to join the movement, here’s a quick primer and some great venues for refuelling, as recommended by our classic car storage team.
What is the meaning of cars & coffee?
Of course, drivers have leant back on their bonnets with a piping-hot Styrofoam cup since time immemorial. But the starting point and spiritual home of cars and coffee as a concept is widely accepted to be the United States – and specifically the public spaces in Irvine, California. Unlike other car meets, the idea was beautifully simple and enviably informal. No entrance fee. No competition. No trophies. Just turn up with your vehicle, choose your poison and admire an ever-changing fleet of interesting vehicles in a family-friendly atmosphere.
The rise of UK cars & coffee
So why is cars & coffee booming in the UK? Some believe this burgeoning movement is a reaction to the estrangement of lockdown, with British drivers realising just how much they missed meeting fellow enthusiasts to swap specs and stories while nursing a flat white.
Others believe cars & coffee serves a deeper function, physically bringing people together in a fragmented online world and soothing the stresses of modern life. “From my own feedback that I’ve received, I’ve had a lot of people go, ‘Oh, I felt more comfortable talking’,” explains Lewis Warren of Takona, who has organised a series of cars & coffee events where visitors are as welcome to discuss the nuts and bolts of their machinery as their own headspace. “It is doing its part to break down those barriers and make talking about mental health more commonplace.”
Eight of the best cars & coffee venues in the UK
We’ve blogged about the cars and coffee scene before in our blog on the best UK coffee stops – including the iconic Ace Café – but that only scratched the surface of the venues out there welcoming car enthusiasts for a frothy latte and a good chat. Here are eight more for your satnav.
Fuel Coffee House, Brighton
Head to this shabby-chic café on the coastline between Worthing and Brighton – the burgers are to die for, there’s always something interesting on the forecourt, and Fuel’s own onsite photographer might even snap your car.
Torque Moto Café, Horsham
Nestled within Horsham’s Graylands Estate, this 14,000-square foot eatery is a petrolhead’s playground – grab a cup made from the acclaimed Coffee Real artisan roastery next door and wait to see what motors pull up outside.
Re:Fuel, Cullompton
The hub of the South West’s cars and coffee scene, you’ll find Re:Fuel just off the M5 in Cullompton. It’s open seven days a week, with a different motor-themed event happening every weekend. And when the weather’s not so great, there’s the APEX race centre, for state of the art race simulation.
Ignition: Cars And Coffee, Peak District
Set in the stunning Peak District, Ignition hosts regular car exhibitions, but the team are just as happy to welcome informal drop-ins from the automotive-inclined. As the website has it: ‘Come along for the show, stay for the food’.
The Piston Club, Stratford-upon-Avon
Billed as “a haven where the worlds of motorsport and classic cars collide” – and owned by Power Maxed Racing – this retro-styled gem is a must if you find yourself skirting Stratford upon Avon. Time your visit for a Sunday roast, and be sure to explore the pit garage-style covered seating in the sprawling gardens.
Gasoline Juice, Northampton
Just 15 minutes from Silverstone, Gasoline Juice feels a little more high-brow than most on this list. Owner Cesar Pieri (an ex-Jaguar designer) has created a buzzing event space where a friendly crowd of enthusiasts flock to examine automotive-themed sculptures and artwork, while appraising each other’s vehicles. Don’t worry: they also do a great coffee.
Caffeine and Machine, various locations
If you love things that move, then make your next coffee stop at one of Caffeine and Machine’s venues in Stratford-upon-Avon, Hampshire and Bedfordshire. Welcoming vehicles of all types, from hypercars to spotless classics and from superbikes to trucks, these venues are a place to be a part of a community that enjoys good food and drink, while soaking up an ever-eclectic display of brilliant machinery.
Caffeine and Machine Stratford-upon-Avon
Baffle Haus
Grown from a ‘love of two wheels and great coffee’, this Welsh brand showcases the best of motorcycle and automotive culture. With venues in Cardiff and Pontypool, the founders (university mates, Salts and Sam) set out to establish a vibrant community of motoring enthusiasts, both online, through video content and merchandise, and offline, with great destinations serving food and drink that feel like a home from home.
Classic car storage - with great coffee too!
There’s always a hot coffee waiting for you at Windrush – and that’s just the start of our sector-leading offering. Windrush’s classic and supercar storage in London and the Cotswolds is a home-from-home for every model, marque and vintage, while our tailored maintenance schedule means every car stays in the form of its life. And for customers, we offer tailor-made services that extend to far more than good coffee! Get in touch to discuss classic car storage in London and the Cotswolds.
