There’s a cool new place to caffeinate in the city centre. Lucy Campion met with Ash and Bobby Williams the owners of Derby Road's District Coffee to find out more about this contemporary coffee shop and its famous pretzels.
The stretch of Derby Road between Upper Parliament Street and Canning Circus is becoming a hot spot for independent food and drink places, with the newest addition to the area, District Coffee, joining well-established names like the Hand & Heart, Tough Mary’s Bakehouse and Little Brickhouse Restaurant.
Like many of Nottingham’s best loved independents, District Coffee’s origins go back to local markets. It’s at the likes of Ruddington Village Market and The Garage Market in Chilwell that District Coffee began gaining loyal customers and a reputation for their signature pretzels.
Ash and Bobby are partners in life, not just in business, and the couple have a six-year-old son, Maddox, who has been a major influence on District Coffee since the beginning.
Warm chilli and cheese muffins, peanut butter and banana toast, matcha banana bread and a range of overnight oats are just some of the items featured
“We always knew we wanted to run a business together,” says Ash. “Maddox has additional needs, which drove us even more as we wanted flexibility for him. We started trading in 2023 at markets and events. From there, the business just grew! Rob (Bobby) always wanted to open his own coffee shop.”
A glance at District Coffee’s Instagram page reveals the full array of food and drink available, with Ash and Bobby using this channel to gauge interest in their latest creations.
A growing selection of creative coffees includes a mango and passionfruit matcha latte and an iced cherry chai cream top. There’s also equally imaginative non-caffeinated drinks, like the dragonfruit and mango refresher, a fizzy thirst quencher I’ll be sipping on all summer.
While pretzels might seem like a surprising specialty for a coffee shop, they are a must try for anyone who visits District Coffee. So far I’ve had a pizza-inspired pretzel and a Kinder Bueno one, and both made a perfect pairing with coffee for lunch.
If pretzels aren’t your thing, District Coffee’s evolving food offering is as imaginative as its drink selection. Warm chilli and cheese muffins, peanut butter and banana toast, matcha banana bread and a range of overnight oats are just some of the items featured on the shop counter.
When I asked Ash about the shop’s cool, neutral interior, she explains that Maddox was the muse behind the modern design. “The shop is on brand, but we wanted it to be a safe space for Maddox. He likes dark colours and enjoys nature, so there’s lots of plants here and the boho, Scandinavian feel is something he connects with.”
Despite being open less than two months, District Coffee has already embedded itself in the local community, having launched a weekly Run Club on Sundays and hosted an evening workshop by Naomi Grace Ceramics.
Supporting other independents through events and workshops is something Ash and Bobby are passionate about. “We want to host a lot of different things here. We would love to have local poets in and small acoustic evenings too. Two of our friends — one creates personalised gifts, the other does lymphatic massage — are also lined up for future workshops.”
“We’re also proud to work with local suppliers, including Batched Bakehouse and Bakery 91, who keep us stocked up with croissants, garlic knots and more.”
Go check out the delights of District Coffee at 63 Derby Rd, Nottingham NG1 5BA and follow more of Lucy's explorations of Nottingham @luceinnotts.
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