Coffee Shop Culture - Idle Hands Coffee
Idle Hands Coffee
35 Dale St, Manchester M1 2HF
26th of April
Today is a Friday. When I walked in to work this morning it was sunny, now I’ve come out for lunch it is raining and I have my new wicker slides on… Not ideal. Luckily I have lived in Manchester long enough to know to also bring my converse with me. Just in case of rain. Lets face it, this is a pretty standard day for Manchester.
Today I am in Idle Hands coffee shop. I am working in a studio around the corner and this was the closest place to pop to so that I didn’t get too wet. It is a lovely little space based in between the Northern Quarter’s Stevenson Square and Piccadilly with a very chilled and relaxed vibe. On the table next to me two women are chatting about their gratitude diaries and northern podcasts - I think they are organising a podcast event- sounds fun. Gosh I am nosey. I’m thinking of joining in their conversation soon but they seem to be in a “meeting” so it might be a bit rude to join in. forever my British manners getting in the way of conversation, at the moment I am just trying to take note of all the podcasts they are mentioning because I havn’t heard of most of them.
Idle Hands always has amazing art work on the walls and most the time it is different every time I come in- depending on how regularly i am in town. The seating reminds me of a scandi style. Lots of light colour wood and simple looking chairs. They are not the most comfortable bits of wood to sit on but its ok. They have two hugeeeee windows letting in loads of light even on this extremely dull day. There is some chilled country type music playing. Nothing too offensive, the kind of music which is good for slightly cheery background music. I believe Idle Hands is best known for its pies, I’m not actually a fan of hard crust pastry so my opinion on them would probably be irrelevant apart from the option on the filling!
I do know they so AMAZING vegan cookies though. The vegan chocolate literally just melts in your mouth. It's amazing.
Today I have gone for a feta and mediterranean veg sandwich and an apple juice.
If I am honest I have had a pretty breezy morning, I haven't actually shot anything yet. We’ve had three hair changes on the model this morning so the actual photography hasn’t started yet and as it is an early finish on a Friday looks like I am going to have a pretty jammy day.
I have managed to write 3 blog posts while I was waiting. 4 if you count this one!
Oo my sandwich has arrived. It is toasted and smells delicious. It has come with a size of rice with raisins and pomegranate seeds in it… very .. what's that word.. Trendy? No.. ah I will have to think of it later..
Taste test - a very good sandwich.
I have just seen a poster for a noodle pop up which reminds me. I MUST book on to a noodle or dumpling workshop with Pippy Eats soon. They look incredible and once when I was in my old flat, two guys got in the lift with me and they said they had just been to a one of her dumping workshops at Form Lifestyle Store and said it was brilliant!
Sandwich warning - it's quite messy to eat. I am getting it everywhere. Oh and I’ve just realised I’ve forgotten to take a picture of it. Haha so this will have to do. A very real image of my current situation.
I decided to start this series, (to be honest I didn’t have the intention of starting it today but I found myself in a coffee shop and here I am typing) as I often find myself working in coffee shop or having lunch out a lot and I feel like I always feel inspired to write. I also thought it would be nice to describe the experience in each coffee shop. Something which you don’t get from just seeing a photo.
The rice is delicious too by the way. I can't decide on the flavours. I think it's slightly cinnamony and slightly asian spices. Is cinnamon an asian spice? I am so clueless when it comes to flavours.
Admittedly the structure of these posts needs work but for today I’m carefree and winging it and I think that's a pretty good way to be.
Ooo Come on Eileen has just come on.. I like this one.