I love good coffee, having tried various brewing techniques (Moka, Aeropress, bean-to-cup, ‘coffee-bag’) over the years.
When I saw Økende blip insistently on my radar, I had to make the journey from Derby to check it out.
Joining the original West Bridgford site (the Carrington Street site closed in 2024) the new Nottingham location is situated on Broad Street Hockley. The coffee shop / late night wine bar offers natural, acclaimed wine such as L’Octavin’s Hip Hip Jura Pinot Noir.
I visited the Hockley site on Tuesday, August 25 for coffee, a sweet treat and a place to sit in the sun.
What does Økende mean?
Økende, pronounced ‘errr-kinn-ah’ is thought to mean ‘more of’ or ‘increasing’ in Norwegian.
Floor-to-ceiling windows let in a boat-load of sunshine. Nooks are filled with craft coffee boxes, artfully positioned baguettes, artisan honey and olive oil granola, and shelves filled with natural wines.
There’s also a soft closing, glass-topped cabinet displaying pastries. The drawer looks like it could house equally precious cargo of Hermès scarves.
What I feel sets Økende apart from its competitors, is its prolonged coffee offering.
Usual coffee shop opening hours vary, the smaller independents closing between 3pm and 5pm.
Økende offers late night opening, welcoming coffee drinkers until 10pm on Friday and Saturday. Økende closes its coffee machines at 8pm, however you can still sip coffee (and other drinks) until the shop closes.
I have always lamented the early closing times of coffee shops; unless you go into a restaurant, there are very limited places you can enjoy a coffee past 7pm.
Back to Økende, the space feels clean, minimalist and it’s a proper little suntrap that feels warm and welcoming too.
I had Aponte coffee by La Cabra which is considered to be a solid specialty roaster.
The coffee flows via ‘the UK’s first Mavam MM Superauto machine’.
I enjoyed the fragrant, floral background which paired well with Malted Bare Bones Chocolate Cookie.
Bare Bones, by the way, is an award-winning bean to bar chocolate, handcrafted in micro-batches in Glasgow with celeb chef fans including Rick Stein. (If it’s good enough for one of my favourite chefs, then it’s good enough for me.)
Økende has an inspirational back story dating 2021 when the bakery was born. It offered sourdough and seasonal pastries made with local, organic grains, then came lockdown which saw the bakery really excel in its production. Today, Økende supplies baked goods to eateries across Nottingham.
During my visit, I planted outside, people-watching, whilst sipping good coffee in the sun. This is easily one of my most favourite things to do, which is why I will most definitely be back.
Location: Økende, 4-6 Broad Street, Nottingham NG1 3AL