Woof Coffee
Woof Coffee is a cafe located in the heart of Broad Street in Teddington. They are committed to providing the best coffee experience in London by offering out-of-this-world delicacies such as specialty coffee, premium loose leaf teas, and the tastiest dishes. Woof Coffee is owned by business partners Alessandro, Tullio and Kaleem; we interviewed Alessandro to find out more about him and the cafe.
How long have you been trading in Teddington?
It was actually our three year anniversary at the end of April and what's great is I still get excited to go to work every morning. We couldn't have done it without the amazing support of the community.
Why did you choose Teddington?
Teddington was a discovery that came out of the blue. By 2016, I had been making coffee with Tullio for
many years - he showed me how to create beautiful patterns on flat whites! We worked together at Artisan Coffee across their four locations in the South West. Kaleem and I met 10 years ago while I was managing a deli in South Kensington; he loved my coffee and the business idea came about. I remember the three of us went for a viewing in the up-and-coming Teddy-Town, fell in love in no time and Woof Coffee was born.
What's your background?
I've been in hospitality since 1995 but Woof is the first cafe I've owned. I've worked for many years in
hotels, fish restaurants and also been a Head Sommelier. More recently, I have been running a coffee training school working closely with SCAE - Speciality Coffee Association of Europe.
What was your vision when you launched?
Simple really we wanted to be able to provide a great coffee experience and provide accessibility to the best teas and coffees in the world.
What makes the business stand out?
Our coffee programme which includes blends, single origins and decaf. Our classic blend is by Allpress whereas our SINGLE ORIGIN coffee comes from a rotating 12-roasters a year. Monthly you can find roasters from UK, Italy, Berlin or Scandinavia. The origin of such coffees is seasonal - remember spring is the time to enjoy Ethiopian coffee. We also blend our own loose leaf tea including Mao Feng Green Tea and Rooibos, Rhubarb and Almond Tea as well as super food lattes including Tumeric, Matcha and Heart-Beet (beetroot). We welcome your four legged friends and we cater for dietary requirements by offering GF gluten free, DF dairy free, vegan and vegetarian options.
What do you love about Teddington?
Teddington has a great vibe and a fantastic community spirit. There are so many families in Teddington who come into Woof on a regular basis and it's been great watching them flourish over the years.
Besides your own shop what is your favourite shop in Teddington and why?
Michael Angelo Barbers – Irina is fantastic and I visit her to get my beard trimmed
What is your guilty pleasure?
I love wine – I worked in the wine industry for many year. Some of my best memories was working in a vineyard in Montalcino in Tuscany. Now besides coffee it's my other obsession.
If you could invite 3 guests to a dinner party, dead or alive, who would they be?
My mum, my dad and Lucinda Williams
Where in the world would you like to visit if time and money was no object?
It has to be Japan because of the food. I've been very lucky in my life and visited many countries but never got to Japan. I do love Africa and have visited Ethiopia – the country is stunning and they have the best coffee!
Do you have any hidden talents?
I love photography but sadly with the cafe and my beautiful 10 month old baby girl I don’t have the time these days. I’ve travelled all over the world taking photos and all of the photos on the walls in Woof are my photographs. I took photos for the London Coffee Guide and once entered the Coffee Art Project – organised by Allegra - following my coffee trip to Ethiopia.
In no more than three words describe yourself
Coffee, Fun and New
What do you see in the future for your business?
I’d love to open another shop in the South West, we would love to push it to another level
