Coffee with brew-tiful views!

We meet the couple behind Norfolk Coffee Pedlar - which serves delicious, ethical coffee (and other hot drinks) from beautiful pottery cups - in a stunning location

I meet Sandy and Dave pulling along their coffee cart to Burnham Overy Staithe Harbour, and as they set up for the day, they tell me about their business.

“We’ve been running it for just over 4 years," says Sandy, "We both really love it, it’s a very special place to work.

“Most of the time it doesn’t feel like working, most of the time it feels like you’re serving friends and lovely people.”

As Sandy talks she takes out the handmade pottery cups, and tells me the business is very eco-conscious, “It’s the centre of everything that we do. We don’t do any take away cups at all.

“Instead of sitting in cafe, you can wander around here with your drink, and then bring your cup back when you’re done.

“These have all been inspired by our beautiful setting here at Overy Staithe, and we have ten different potters who make cups for us, which you can buy too.”

Dave brings out the homemade cakes - ginger and orange and Victoria Sponge. And even before they’re ready to start serving, there's a queue forming.

“Morning, we’ll be another ten minutes or so,” Sandy tells them. The visitors are happy to wait.

And then the coffee machine powers up, the milk is steamed, and the first coffee of the day is served - and what a beautiful place to drink it.

Pam, who’s on a walking holiday with her husband gives her verdict, “It’s superb. What a brilliant find, what a great surprise. And the cup is beautiful.”

Chloe, who’s staying nearby, says, “It’s lovely, really nice, something totally unique - what an amazing setting, can’t beat it can you.”

Norfolk Coffee Pedlar is open from around mid-March until September, from 10.15 in the morning until 5.

“It’s not just getting out of bed in the morning to do a job, we really look forward to it," Dave says.

"And yep it’s hard work, we try to get out here seven days a week, the only thing that really stops us is the weather, other than that it is a big commitment for 6 months. But we absolutely love doing it.”

 Dave and Sandy

“It’s particularly rewarding when people don’t know we’re here," he continues.

"We can see them coming probably off the coastal path and we see their faces, and mouthing probably is that coffee, is that tea, maybe they have cake, and then they come up and we do - it’s really lovely when that happens."

More customers are served, and more compliments on the drinks and cakes are given.

“It’s wonderful, makes it all worthwhile," Dave tells me, "We strive to make the best drinks that we possibly can, but it’s nice to have that validated by people actually giving you direct feedback.

"Which is definitely better working in a office job which I was doing before.”

The pair decided to reinvent their careers during Covid and wanted to find a way of investing in their community.  Before I leave Sandy says, “It’s a really special thing to do, we’re extremely lucky.”

I think the community and visitors are lucky to have them, what a fantastic pair.

I did have a cup of coffee (delicious) and got to enjoy the view - a hot drink with a difference for sure.