Taking a sip across Europe with Økende

Økende meaning ‘increasing’ in Nordic is reflective of the desire from the residents of Nottingham for more high quality coffee. Brewing coffee from established roasters across Europe, Økende offers a unique experience compared to most other cafes in the area.

Økende, with its clean and minimalistic design, opened its doors in 2018 on Gordon Road in West Bridgford. The coffee shop has been a favourable choice amongst residents and visitors alike. With the initial main focus being speciality coffee, owner Josh Rowe and his team have since developed Økende into a bakery. Inspiration for this development came during lockdown, Rowe states on the website. From beginning with cardamom buns they now stock a delicious array of pastries freshly made each day. Additionally, the team have now begun opening on weekend evenings, holding pizza and pasta nights which can be enjoyed with a selection of high quality wines.

Upon our first visit to Økende in West Bridgford, first impressions were good. As you enter through the door you are greeted with neatly stacked shelves of fine wines. As you move through the store with the sound of chilled beats playing in your ears, you are greeted by the baristas who are standing behind a clearly well thought out coffee bar. The area has a minimal design with the espresso machine integrated into the counter top which gives it a spacious and organised feel. It gives you a confidence in the coffee you are about to be served.

Coffee Jargon

The Flat White

One aspect of Økende that sets it apart from other coffee shops within Nottingham is the number of pour over options. Økende were offering seven different pour over options all provided by Danish coffee company, La Cabra. Alongside the tempting list of pour over options is of course espresso brewed coffee which is what we decided to choose on our first visit. Ordering a pain au chocolat to accompany two flat whites we sat adjacent to the shelves of fine wines. The flat whites were made using Russilandia, Colombia from La Cabra. The naturally processed coffee was expertly made with silky milk which complemented the rich and complex flavour of Russilandia and for us resembled dark chocolate.

Japanese Iced Coffee

My second visit to Økende was a solo one. During the one week of summer that the UK experienced in the middle of June I headed over in the early hours. This time opting for one of the pour over options. However, being a hot summers morning I decide on trying my first Japanese iced coffee. This type of iced coffee is a much quicker way of creating a delicious cup of iced coffee compared to a cold brew. The Japanese iced coffee involves the coffee directly dripping over ice which instantly reduces the temperature to create a refreshing iced brew within ten minutes.

The coffee that was used was F.BU.KIBIN from NOMAD coffee roasters. Based in Barcelona, NOMADS are also a well recognised roaster across the continent. The F.BU.KIBIN coffee beans are grown in Burundi and washed using the Kiningu process. Personally, I am a great admirer of coffee from this region and this beautifully brewed cup only solidified my love for coffee from Burundi. Initially, I could taste floral notes which transitioned into a delicate sweetness at the end of each sip. This delicate sweetness combined perfectly with the cold temperatures of the Japanese iced coffee to create an all round refreshing cup of coffee.

Summary

Nottingham has an ‘increasing’ amount of great spaces to grab a high quality cup of coffee, with Økende being one of them. Though we usually enjoy trying more locally roasted coffee, we believe a visit to Økende is a must, with the refreshing experience of trying something different.