5/8 - updated with soft launch details.
The duo behind popular scotch egg company Scotchtails are opening a new all day coffee shop on Aldwych.
Dominic Hamdy and Oliver Hiam will open Lundenwic at the end of July, serving up all manner of salads, sandwiches and toasties, alongside specialty coffees, homemade nut milks and cold-pressed juices.
The concept for the cafe was inspired by the pair's trip to Copenhagen where they rather liked the aesthetics of the Nordic cafés and small restaurants they visited. As for the name - it's what one of the original Anglo-Saxon settlements in the capital back in the 5th century was called.
Setting up the kitchen at Lundenwic is Matt Shea, who comes via B.O.B’s Lobster and Salon Brixton. For mornings, his menu will feature porridge with more inventive toppings than usual - think Marmalade, cocoa nibs, hazelnut & honey or perhaps Fig, chia seed & agave’. Lunchtimes will see gluten free salads such as ‘Courgette, asparagus, kohlrabi, peas, curd & red chilli’ and ‘Roast butternut squash, chickpea, fennel & pomegranate’ and ‘Pickled peach, green beans, feta & hazelnut’. Sourdough sarnies include porchetta, salsa verde, fennel & mint as well as toasties like the rather fabulous sounding beer braised onions, kale & Montgomery cheddar.
To drink there'll be all manner of Workshop espresso blends and they've teamed up with Mae + Harvey to create an exclusive selection of bottled nut milks such as cashew, date & vanilla. Cold press juices will be made in house each day.
We caught up with Dominic Hamdy of Lundenwic to find out more...
Why did you choose Aldwych, over any other London location?
In all honesty, the only prerequisite we had was that we wanted a really busy location with lots of potential and then came across the shop space on Aldwych. We couldn’t believe our luck to find somewhere so close to Covent Garden. Oli and I figured that what we have in mind for Lundenwic is currently lacking on Aldwych and so we hope to give this historic stretch a food and coffee revival.
How do you feel about moving from a market stall to your first ‘bricks & mortar’ site?
A market pitch is damn hard work - you have the elements constantly against you and need to set up and pack down every day. It’s been an amazing and invaluable experience, and has taught us the importance of teamwork to make a business a success, but we now can't wait to have a place of our own to showcase our food and drink – with a roof over our heads!
What do you think will set Lundenwic apart from other independent cafés and speciality coffee shops?
Lundenwic will focus on every part of its offering. Many speciality coffee shops have incredible coffee but the food does not match this, and vice-versa. We want to bring together a concise and modern food menu with fresh cold-pressed juices and nut milks alongside equally great coffee. In its offering, Lundenwic is our idea of the perfect independent café serving the food we like to eat ourselves. Time will tell, but we cannot wait to open the doors and welcome our first customer next month.
Lundenwic all-day food and specialty coffee shop will open 6 August 2015 at 45 Aldwych, London WC2B 4DW. The first day will be a soft launch with 50% discount on all food & drink all day. On 7 August doors open at 8am The first 50 customers through the door will get a complimentary lunch, which will include a Lundenwic sandwich or salad, drink and dessert (worth around £10). Opening hours after that will be 7am – 7pm. Keep up with their news on Twitter @lundenwic
