Restaurant & Bar Awards 2020

Page 18 www.lux-review.com LUX Restaurant & Bar Awards 2020 Divine has always been about supporting the local community, as many coffee shops are. Since moving to its current premises after leaving the city centre in 2014, this excellent coffee shop has integrated and instilled itself into the heart of the Sherwood community. As a coffee shop, there has always been a desire to serve amazing coffee at Divine. However, in order to become the best coffee shop in Nottingham, there has also been a wealth of other changes to become more eco-friendly and welcoming to anybody who might step through the doors in search of a delicious drink. Now, nearly six years later, Divine has achieved the coveted title of Coffee Shop of the Year 2020 – Nottingham in this years’ Restaurant and Bar Awards, courtesy of LUXlife. At Divine, every single coffee that goes out is ethically sourced, properly made, and correctly presented. This ethos of doing things right stems from the beginning of the process, and also filters through all of the other food and drink options available. Using locally-roasted beans for the coffees, and locally-sourced ingredients for the toasties and wraps, Divine ensures that it provides the best quality and most luxurious-tasting coffee. If the baristas aren’t happy, then they do it again until they get it right, guaranteeing that the customer always gets the best coffee. At Divine, they always strive for perfection. The coffee industry has had to face many changes and transitions in the last few years, many of which have also directly affected the team at Divine. Non-dairy products have become a great deal more popular than Local coffee shops are the lifeblood of some communities across the United Kingdom. Whether through sourcing local suppliers, offering a safe haven for friends to meet, or giving back to a community through charity donations and events, coffee shops have been a staple of towns and cities for decades. In the historic city of Nottingham, there is one coffee shop that outshines the rest; Divine Coffee House. Divine Coffee House Coffee Shop of the Year 2020 - Nottingham ever before, and the establishment has now offered soya, oat, almond, hemp, and pea milks for more than two years. Today, alternative milks make up approximately fifty percent of coffee orders at Divine. Another key difference between now and when Divine first began is the rise of shorter and stronger drinks, such as the highly-popular flat white. People are looking for a burst of energy that a coffee can give them, and Divine happily obliges, with great-tasting and flavoursome drinks sure to spruce up any day. Not only has the coffee shop sought to deliver perfection to its customers, but it has also grown to be more ethical as a business. Three years ago, Divine began to cut meat products out, and achieved total vegetarian and vegan status just one year later. Around the same time, it also began to source and replace all packaging with eco-friendly versions. Plastic bottles were scrapped for a chilled, filtered dispenser of free water, many of the items and packaging was recycled rather than thrown away, and Divine also made the switch to using 100% solar and wind energy for its electricity needs. As if supporting the environment wasn’t enough for the team at Divine, they also regularly fundraise for local causes, and provide a safe space for the LGBTQ community across Sherwood, Nottingham, and wherever else guests come from. Being recognised in the Restaurant and Bar Awards 2020 requires more than just excellent coffee, which Divine has in abundance. Impeccable service is also crucial, and that is something that has been drilled into the team.