Festive perk for two city independents ahead of 2026 reveal of Best Coffee Shops in the UK
You can’t have too much of a good thing and two city coffee specialists both serving up quality brews within just minutes of each other are now sharing the spotlight as they make the running for The Best Coffee Shops in the UK, 2025. The newly-revealed round-up of candidates for the listing, which will be announced in 2026, includes Lagom and Pink Lane Coffee in Newcastle.
Lagom, as previously reported, was opened just last year by Matt Mitchell – who co-founded Durham-based Fika Coffee Roasters – and ‘coffee influencer’ Charlie Doyle in Monk Street, in the heart of the city‘s Grainger Town, where it took over the former home of The Canny Goat. And, with its focus upon quality, sustainability and ethical trade, it has won fans for its speciality coffees which are sourced directly from farmers in countries such as Kenya, Mexico, Guatemala and Brazil.
Less than a five-minute walk away is the longer-established Pink Lane Coffee, named after its location, which was set up by Anthony Atkinson in 2012 and which has remained at the forefront of the city’s growing coffee culture. The Pink Lane hub, whose previous accolades include top reviews in a previous article about best coffee shops, also specialises in the best, with its local roastery making use of seasonal coffees from small producers and valuing “transparency from seed to cup”.
The businesses join UK-wide finalists for The Best Coffee Shops which is described as a listing “where you can find the best places to enjoy high-quality coffees”. While mainly featuring specialty coffee shops, the list can also include hotels and restaurants if they offer “unique and ultra-premium coffee experiences”.
There is also a Europe and world category of the rankings which will be revealed early next year. Nominations can be made for the list and evaluations are made based upon a set of criteria which, besides coffee quality, includes ambience and atmosphere; barista expertise; consistency; sustainable practices; quality of food and pastries; customer service and innovation.
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