Hasbean Coffee hasn’t had a storefront since 2003, but the company is jumping back into the retail game by opening (H)AND in partnership with UNIQLO.
BY ASHLEY RODRIGUEZ
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Photos courtesy of Hasbean Coffee
Hasbean Coffee, the once-small passion project of then-correctional officer Stephen Leighton, has opened its first physical cafe in almost 15 years. Located on the third floor of UNIQLO’s flagship store on Oxford Street in London, the cafe is a partnership between Hasbean Coffee and UNIQLO that the two brands have dubbed (H)AND by Hasbean. “Inspired by the values of both Hasbean and UNIQLO LifeWear, (H)AND by Hasbean highlights the power and beauty of collaboration (“AND”) and manual creation (“HAND”) through coffee and tea service,” a press release states.
Hasbean is a wholesale roaster and online coffee company offering unique coffees from all over the world. Though it has been without a storefront since 2003, Hasbean was willing to return to the retail world should the right partnership arise—and in UNIQLO, they found just that. “For many years we’ve thought about how we might present coffee differently if the real challenges of paying the rent or the logistics of a modern espresso bar could be bypassed,” says Dale Harris, director of wholesale at Hasbean. “When UNIQLO approached us with their hope of offering the customers visiting 311 Oxford St. something remarkable, we saw an opportunity to really look at delivering something innovative, simple, and enjoyable. (H)AND is about collaboration and service, not sales—we’re excited about the freedom that offers, the drinks we’re going to serve, and who we’re going to meet, work with, and learn from along the way.”
The pop-up, which is run by 2014 Irish Barista Champion Pete Williams, focuses on filter coffee. With more than 60 coffees on the Hasbean roster, the menu at (H)AND will change daily, and patrons can check the ever-evolving menu each day on Instagram. The cafe intends to share the stories of the myriad producers that Hasbean works with, and highlight their hard work through serving coffee brewed beautifully and with intention.
Coffees are brewed using copper handmade Kalita Waves, produced in the Japanese city of Tsubame, as part of an ongoing project led by Kalita. “As a part of their collaborative ‘& Kalita’ initiative, the resulting hand-engineered and hand-made brewers of the ‘Tsubame & Kalita’ collection embody simplicity, functionality, and beauty whilst maximizing evenness in coffee extraction,” the press release states.
Along with coffee, patrons can also pick up a cup of tea made by London-based Lalani & Co, brewed using a specially designed brewer called the Aurora. “Designed in London by Jameel Lalani and ceramic artist Linda Bloomfield, the Aurora brewer is manufactured in Stoke-on-Trent with British clay and features a simple and elegant shape that allows for ideal brewing conditions without a handle, long spout, or strainer,” the press release states. (H)AND will also feature the Mix boiler from Marco, designed to work in unconventional coffee spaces such as pop-ups.
You can visit the (H)AND by Hasbean pop-up at UNIQLO at 311 Oxford St.—with the London Coffee Festival taking place this week, (H)AND will surely be a popular destination for coffee-minded visitors. You can see the rotating list of coffees by checking out the (H)AND Instagram account and learn more at madebyhandcoffee.com.
