This Southsea coffee shop is one of the best in the country according to Best Coffee Shops UK
As the “world shut down” during the pandemic, a metal work business metamorphosed into a coffee shop which has now been recognised as one of the country’s best.
Best Coffee Shops UK has revealed its new list featuring the 100 best coffee shops in the country - and Broadway Coffee Roasters, in Highland Road, has made the cut.
The cafe opened in 2020 after Duane Bradshaw’s metal work shop was burgled, prompting him to completely adapt his business.
The 38-year-old said: “We opened just as the world shut down. The support we have had from day one has been incredible. Our customers, old and new, carried us through. I will never forget it.
“It was my metal work shop but my business got burgled and I made the decision to change the entire operation. I decided to pursue a hobby and turn it in a cafe and work with the lockdown restrictions.
“We then grew the coffee roasting side of things so we are now Portsmouth’s biggest supplier of coffee.”
In the years since opening Broadway Coffee, Duane has set up a coffee academy, giving disadvantaged young people and job seekers the tools to find employement.
Best Coffee Shops UK judged more than 15,000 shops across the UK with a panel evaluating each venue based on a criteria including quality of coffee, sustainable practices, innovation, customer service, barista expertise and consistency.
A spokesperson for Best Coffee Shops UK said: “Our mission is to celebrate excellence in the UK's speciality coffee scene by spotlighting outstanding coffee shops and sharing their dedication, quality and craft based on the evaluation criteria.
"The Best Coffee Shops is the listing where you can find the best places to enjoy high-quality coffees. Primarily specialty coffee shops, but you'll also find hotels and restaurants with unique and ultra-premium coffee experiences."
After securing a place in the top 100, the coffee shop went up against hundreds of shops across the globe for a spot on the shortlist of best coffee venues around the world.
Despite not bagging a place on the worldwide list, Duane said being recognised nationwide “is a massive achievement” and was a “great experience”.
He said: “I feel really great about it all. It’s a job well done but it isn’t a job finished. I am really proud of my team, it’s all about them. They are the ones that come to work every day and look after our customers. “Portsmouth has the best community. The kindness shown to me in 2019 and again when we opened in lockdown is something I will carry forever. Broadway exists because of this city. This recognition belongs to Portsmouth. ”