Mettricks opened as one independent café in Southampton in 2013 and is now a family-run group of coffee houses in Portswood, Woolston Waterside and WestQuay. It goes by “Southampton’s Living Room”. Chefs make the brunches, bakes and pizzas from scratch, using local produce where possible, and the cafés also serve craft beer and cocktails.

Since 2022 Mettricks has roasted its own coffee under the name Ascapart, in 5 kg batches on a Probat at the back of the Portswood café. The head roaster, Wilson, is a Q grader and a Specialty Coffee Association trainer. The house espresso served across the cafés is Bargate Roast, a Brazilian coffee named after Southampton’s historic Bargate, and Ascapart also roasts for cafés, restaurants and offices, including white-label coffee under a client’s own brand.

The Portswood café fills a historic bank building, with high ceilings, exposed brickwork, wood panelling and a secret garden at the back. It is also home to The Portswood Bakery, where the bakers start in the early hours to make the pastries from scratch. Walk-ins are welcome, dogs too, and the food runs all day. Woolston opened in 2017 at Centenary Quay, by the River Itchen, with a large sun terrace facing Ocean Village, secure storage for cycle groups, and quizzes, games nights and live music.

The WestQuay espresso bar sits in the shopping centre, with grab-and-go food, a large cake selection and the full Ascapart range to take home. The founder, Spencer, made his first cup of coffee there at 17, when the space was the John Lewis café; the name on the counter is his great-grandparents’.

Coffee on the shelf

Photograph: Mettricks