Since arriving on the Nottingham coffee scene in 2019, Effy has become a favourite haunt for local coffee connoisseurs in the know. Now this indie coffee shop is developing a reputation for its equally impressive pastries. Food co-editor Lucy Campion chats to owner Mitch Farr about the shop’s growing bakery operation.
My love for pastries began in childhood, with a French grandmother (‘mémé’) who introduced me to the joy of a pain au chocolat, warm from the oven, for breakfast. For years, I thought pastries meant only croissants and pain au chocolat, until Nottingham’s coffee shops revealed that pastry had much more to offer.
Coffee and pastries go hand in hand, a relationship that Effy understands well. As Mitch explains: “The original idea for a micro bakery came from a desire to be something more than just a high quality coffee shop. We have been to countless cafes and bakeries where either the coffee is great or the baked goods are great but rarely both, especially when in-house.”
Effy’s pastry counter is reminiscent of a jewel cabinet, with the day’s creations showcased in a glass display. Alongside the classics, like croissants and banana bread, you’ll find pastries rarely sighted in other local coffee shops, such as monkey croissants and pain suisses.
We take a lot of inspiration from bakeries around the world and try to add our own touch depending on what seasonal produce we can access
Personal favourites from my summertime visit to Effy were a blackberry, hazelnut and Earl Grey custard danish, and a deceptively simple brown butter cookie made memorable with a sprinkling of sea salt.
Mitch explains that Effy started taking their baked goods more seriously in 2022, when production was moved in-house.
“We produced a small run of yeasted baked goods, such as cardamom and cinnamon buns, alongside some traditional baked items. This operation grew massively when we moved to Hockley and expanded with our downstairs bakery, adding the ability to do more technical viennoiserie and, soon, bread for our long awaited sandwich offering.”
Effy’s onsite bakery expansion coincided with a desire to localise sourcing as well as production. “With a growing network of bakers and millers alike in Nottingham, we wanted to join this movement by localising our production and sourcing sustainably, putting the supply chain back in control of the millers, farmers, and bakers.”
While there is a local focus on ingredients and production, inspiration for Effy’s pastry counter extends far beyond Nottingham. Mitch says: “We take a lot of inspiration from bakeries around the world and try to add our own touch depending on what seasonal produce we can access. My mum and dad have a very large allotment and they bring me a constantly changing supply of whatever is growing there.”
Mitch is the lead innovator behind the bakery’s baked creations but Effy’s delectable bakes and pastries are a team effort: “The whole barista team also double up as trainee bakers - the goal is for everyone upstairs to be able to do everything downstairs.” Incredibly, this bakery operation has been built from the ground up without any formal training. “It’s been a case of learning as we go and just constantly pushing ourselves to get better and better.”
Visit Effy at 20A Heathcoat Street, NG1 3AA
We have a favour to ask
LeftLion is Nottingham’s meeting point for information about what’s going on in our city, from the established organisations to the grassroots. We want to keep what we do free to all to access, but increasingly we are relying on revenue from our readers to continue. Can you spare a few quid each month to support us?
