Origin is one of those classic places in Cape Town, without which, this blog would be a joke. The home of Origin coffee and the people who are responsible for introducing this city to the ‘flat white’ is on Hudson street, near Cape Quarter. Downstairs is a masculine and warm area, perfect for a winter cup of coffee (or in summer, a coffee crush) and a catch up with a friend, while up the stairs and past the storage and barista-training areas, the space opens up to a peaceful garden of cacti, and some really weird sculptures. It’s upstairs that you’ll watch the local office workers almost queuing up for their daily fixes of the magic stuff.
Origin roasters are proud and passionate about their beans and are enthusiastic educators of anyone even slightly interested. Origin runs a barista course, which it also uses to create employment opportunities. Anywhere that Origin is sold (anywhere worth going); a home-trained barista must be employed, usually immigrants who were previously working min wage jobs.
Nigiro (origin spelt backwards) is a Japanese style teahouse stocking 140 different teas, also downstairs and completely protected from the rich coffee aroma by glass walls. Nigiro serves it’s teas in beautiful glass teapots and also runs a tea appreciation course, complete with thermometers and timers, an eye opener for presumed tea-lovers.
Origin also serves a range of bagels, croissants, etc. and delicious baked goodness. They have a daily menu and the food is scrum, but well-priced.
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