Bella Vista - Wedding reception coffee

On Saturday, I was shooting the wedding photographs for Toni & Stephen at the Bella Vista Italian Restaurant in Milnrow, Rochdale.
I have been there a few times to photograph weddings, and normally partake of a coffee whilst there.
This time, however, I happened to notice that every guest at the wedding, when coffee was served at the end of the wedding breakfast, received a rather splendid frothy coffee. No mean feat, considering there were around 80 guests. The waitresses ran a cracking little production line of trayfuls of cups, each with a coffee shot in, being topped up from a large jug of freshly foamed milk, then whisked out to serve to the tables. Very impressive!
The coffee was smooth, tasty, with a typically Italian-style blend.
As a wedding venue, the Bella Vista is one of the best around, with lovely places to take photos, and stunning views across the Pennines and surrounding hills. For me, as a wedding photographer, it is a local venue (5 minutes drive from my house), and one of my favourites for photo locations. To reinforce this, it is also where my son held his wedding reception a couple of years ago.
The food is always excellent, service very thorough and efficient and, bearing in mind the purpose of this post, it is probably worth calling in just for a cappuccino!
To have a look at some of my photogrpaphy work, please have a look at my photography blog, Facebook page, or website. 
Thanks for reading!

 

Tags: Manchester Oldham, Milnrow rochdale wedding photographer

Tasty Illy coffee at Macaroon in Bamford, Rochdale

Passing by the row of shops going into Bamford this morning I happened to notice a little coffee shop selling Illy coffee. Not being able to resist one of the tastiest coffee blends I know, I was duly tempted, and succumbed to the coffee urge.
The Illy cups are a little on the small side, compared to another cafe I know which has chosen to retain its own, larger cups, which are (in my opinion) much better suited to enjoying a reasonable sized cuppa.
However, coming back to the cappuccino in question, I have to say that it was an almost perfect cup of coffee with good strength, smooth foam and a generous sprinkling of chocolate powder on the top.
It still amazes me that some coffee shops still ask if you want chocolate on your cappuccino.....it wouldn't be a proper cappuccino without chocolate powder on top, would it?
All credit to Alison for a lovely little coffee shop, with a nice menu, and some lovely looking cakes (maybe some other time...).

Tags: Howard Wilkinson photography rochdale Manchester Oldham wedding photography

Feel Good Cafe now serving Illy Coffee

A little update to the post about the Feel Good Cafe in Rochdale. Click on the link to go to their Facebook page.
They are now serving Illy coffee. 
Not that I would complain about their previous coffee, but the Illy blend is rather nice.
Here's a quick pic of an Illy cappuccino.

Tags: Illy coffee, cafe in rochdale, Feel Good Cafe, cappuccino, frothy coffee.

Feel Good Cafe, Rochdale

Only open for four weeks, we were introduced to this new little cafe in Rochdale today. Opened in conjunction with Rochdale Town Centre Management, it is a great addition to the town.
It is not the most conspicuous place to find, being above the 25 Ten Boutique on the corner of Yorkshire Street and Cheetham Street, but is worth the search. Decor is fresh, bright and airy, and the first-floor windows along one full side give an open view over Yorkshire Street.
Prices are extremely reasonable, the loyalty card gives a free drink after 6 stamps, and the food is very nice.
For those to whom this matters, the hygiene is to an extremely high standard.
There are also some small alcoves within the cafe that are going to be used to allow local crafts/artists to display their work, which will further add to the charm of the place.
Overall, much to be recommended, go and check them out.
On the main subject, the cappuccino is right up there, good froth, reasonable strength, and they obviously use a nice brand of coffee as the taste is just right.

Coffee in Sweden

I was in Sweden last week, unfortunately for a family funeral. However, we did find some time to go exploring and sampling the local towns, sights and......coffee shops.
It took a while to find a decent coffee over there, but eventually we came across a lovely little coffee shop in a city called Lund.
At last, a decent cappuccino in Sweden.

The location was ace for people-watching too.

Organic House Cafe, Hebden Bridge

Last weekend saw me and my good lady passing a few hours in Hebden Bridge, a great little place for charity shops, craft shops and, of course, coffee shops.
Having been there on New Year's Day and finding only one cafe open in the place (an excellent business  decision, it was packed), which led us to find a new gem of a place, we returned this weekend to savour the delights of the Organic House Cafe.
I chose the Rarebit with two toppings, roasted vegetables and bacon. An excellent choice...The slab of toasted wholemeal bread with an excellent rarebit mix on top, together with the roasted carrots, sweet potatoes and other veg, plus a slice or two of bacon, was just the job for a light bite.
With regards to the cappuccino, I have to admit that I have never been served a cappuccino that looked like this one. Just look at the pictures below.

Barista Cafe Bar, Bury

We had the pleasure of having lunch with friends yesterday at the exceptional Barista Cafe Bar in Bury, Lancs.
Apart from the fact that the two people we shared lunch with are two very special people, and very dear friends, the big pleasure was the quality of the food, service, and overall experience of the interestingly placed cafe bar in the middle of the pedestrianised area of The Rock, Bury.
The cafe is based in a glass building in the middle of an open area, so it is perfect for those into people-watching, which just adds to the charm of the place.
The menu is mainly sandwiches and ciabattas and salads, with a very interesting array of fillings (not the usual plain and simple ones).
My steak and caramelised red onion ciabatta with chunky chips was very tasty, and well presented with a side salad. The others' meals were equally well presented and very much enjoyed.
The cappuccino arrived and made an excellent immediate impression, just look at the foam below. Taste and strength were just right and, as is usual when a coffee is so good, just left me wanting another...