Behind the brand: Esters – Stoke Newington’s Coolest Cafe
London never ceases to amaze me with its hidden gems. Cafes, events, galleries you name it and London houses it if you take a little time to adventure.
So it was with great pleasure I was put in touch with the duo behind ESTERS; a cool little cafe in the heart of Stoke Newington. Nia and Jack took over the homely (yet quite chic, the logo is actually a chemical ester!) place just over a year ago, and the ex Fernandez and Wells team have totally put their own spin on the lunching experience.
I was lucky enough to grab five with them after their busy lunchtime service:
So guys how was ESTERS born?
Nia: Jack and I both worked while at university in Fernandez and Wells. We worked our way up and joked about one day opening our own place but it was always just a dream. One day a friend said there was a cafe for sale tucked in Stoke Newington and we didn’t really think too much about it we just went for it! We hadn’t even been together for a year! Luckily we found an investor and the rest is history.
The menu is familiar yet innovative. Where does this inspiration come from?
Nia: Jacks the savoury guy, and I’m the sweet lady. After Jack discovered the world of food at about 16 he has always been an experimental cook. We make everything from scratch which is great as we can try new flavour combinations.
Jack: We like to experiment with the menu. There are always the most popular dishes yet we still like to add an innovative twist to them. Our aim is to make our new dishes just as popular as our customers favourites.
Nia: At the start I was a little overwhelmed with all this cooking! I’d follow recipes (I love the Roads Bakery ones!) to the letter. Now I feel more confident to adapt recipes and try my own thing.
Does that mean you are conscious of where you source everything from?
Nia: We really look into sourcing. Our fruit and veg is from Rushtons, meat from macanna butchers, chorizo from brindisa, and our milk from Kent and Surrey close by!
Jack: Mmmm yea the milk is good. It’s really creamy!
Nia: We also make all our own yogurt, jams, pickles. We make sure our menu is always seasonal and source British produce as much as possible.
Where do you see ESTERS heading next?
Nia: One day to a bigger place with a massive bakery!!
Jack: At the moment maybe evening openings or supper clubs. Ultimately we want to be the best at what we do and go from there.
And believe me the food is divine. After ummm-ing and ahhhh-ing I went for their poached eggs on sourdough toast with spring greens and chorizo. Let me tell you this was no run of the mill lunch experience. The familiar dish was reinvented with tangy notes of vinegar, earthy greens and juicy seasoned chorizo. It was like a party in my mouth and I savoured every bite.
For afters Nia indulged me in a couple of her famous cakes; the blood orange and almond, and the lemon, rose and pistachio. Wow both so different. The blood orange gave the moist cake a citrus zing and the rose gently complimented the zesty lemon. Well sharing was scarce, I sort of ate both đ
At only 23 and 24 the duo are young, bright and the world is their oyster. The whole cafe is modern yet retains a homely feel (with Nia even having to pop off to make marmalade!). Their regulars love it and newbies are excited by it. Both come back for old menu favourites and to try new dishes.
This is one place in London I will DEFINITELY go back to. Not only do I want to everyone to know this is the real taste of London, but such good people and a lovely place deserve many a revisit. Check out an example of their seasonally changing MENU.
Esters
55 Kynaston Road
London
N16 0EB
Reporter: Aspen Glencross @GollumCrackCorn
