A Beacon of Light on Falmouth's High Street

There are times when you walk into a coffee shop and immediately know you have found the place you are looking for. For us, this was Beacon Coffee.

With rain forecasted during our final few days in Cornwall, we decided what better to do than go on a hunt for good coffee. After some research it wasn’t long before we came across Beacon Coffee based in Falmouth. Founded by two friends Alex and Sam in February 2018, the coffee shop sits on the upper end of the high street, surrounded by an eclectic array of design stores. As storm clouds rolled in overhead, we ducked into the coffee shop, its busyness evident from the large window at the front. Compact and cosy, the space was packed with people sipping and chatting the morning away. With the counter close to the entrance, the two baristas at the counter greeted us and explained their menu.

Coffee Jargon

Displayed on neatly presented cards on the countertop are the different espresso and filter options. With two choices on the espresso, the barista explained that as standard one tends to be more chocolatey and the other more funky and fruity.

On their drinks menu there was an option we’d never heard of - a “One & One” , which is a split shot served as a single espresso and a single shot flat white. We loved this idea of being able to try the coffee with and without milk. If we had the opportunity we would have definitely tried this on a return trip. However, we are creatures of habit and stuck to our usual choice of one flat white and a filter coffee. We usually prefer a pour over for our filter coffee but on this occasion we decided on a batch brew, a fresh vat being opened before us.

From the website it shows that Beacon Coffee supply high quality coffee from established roasters all across the UK including some further afield in mainland Europe. The batch filter coffee was the Beloya, Natural by Edinburgh based, Cairngorm Coffee Roasters. It was an Ethiopian coffee, which we’ve been partial to recently. Served up in a near overflowing mug, the coffee, once cooled, was light and balanced, with a very floral bouquet. A slight acidity hits the back of the mouth in a pleasant fruity manner. For the flat white, we decided on the fruitier flavoured coffee, which was another Ethiopian coffee roasted by Campbell & Syme in Kings Langley near Watford. Originating from Gedeb, the slow dried naturally processed coffee was light and fruity. It had distinct and delicious notes of strawberry, with a full mouth feel.

Summary

Sipping on good coffee, flicking through Cornwall Journals and listening to the rain outside, we felt utterly content inside this coffee shop. As people came and went we could hear the baristas providing information and having open and warm conversations. With a beautifully designed counter, featuring wood and tiles, Beacon have perfectly adopted a minimalistic yet homely design. The light-filled space, even on a grey day, brought Melbourne vibes to mind. If you’re in Falmouth, stop by for a brew, or two, or even a One & One.

Where to find Beacon Coffee:

28A High St,

Falmouth,

TR11 2AD