Images via Booknook and Bean facebook page
Images via Booknook and Bean facebook page | Cruffins by Abbots and Kinney
Look along the wall and you will find a mini pre-loved bookstore. Now this is no ordinary bookstore, the books are sold to raise funds for Kiva.org. Kiva are an organisation who offer safe micro loans to people in developing countries, in the aim to help alleviate poverty. In just two and a half months Booknook and Bean have raised over $2000 from book sales which has allowed them to help change the lives of seven people through funding-two in Kenya and one each in Mexico, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Lebanon and Samoa.
If you follow Booknook and Bean on Facebook you can see those whom the money has been loaned to, read their story and how the money has helped them. Once the loans have been repaid, the money will go back into a new Kiva loan, they just keep recycling the money to help more and more people. The books are donated so if you have any quality books you are no longer reading, think of adding a book to the nook at Booknook and Bean.
Images via Booknook and Bean facebook page
I do like a quality coffee now and again but I will be totally honest, Im more of a hot chocolate or chai drinker, so this leaves me to take the opinion of my coffee loving friends. Let me tell you, every coffee connoisseur I know loves De Groot coffee Co. I can't tell you if it's the beans, the roast or both that makes De Groot coffee so desired, but I do know De Groot are one of the top boutique coffee roasters around. De Groot Coffee Co. are a local Adelaide business lead by their founder Trevor De Groot himself. You can enjoy your De Groot coffee guilt free knowing that the beans are certified Fair Trade.
For those of you who are like me and enjoy a quality hot chocolate, you're in luck. I was very excited to see the drinks menu offered not only hot chocolate, but hot chocolate twists like orange, French mint, chilli, cinnamon, dark or white. Being the die-hard Jaffa fan that I am, I couldn't go past the hot chocolate with orange. The flavours are created by adding things like real orange oil, peppermint oil, cinnamon and chilli, nothing is synthetic. The hot chocolate base is also made from organic and real cocoa bean blends by 'Grounded Pleasures'.
Images via Booknook and Bean Facebook page
If your after something a little more exotic you can try the chai, carob or matcha latte that Booknook and Bean have on offer. Matcha is derived from the green tea plant. I've read numours articles about the health benefits of Matcha; it's also used traditionally in Japanese cooking for its unique flavour. Co-Owner Katherine has Japanese heritage on her Mothers side, she remembers having Matcha cakes and biscuits growing up in Japan. Katherine has also learnt the Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea, which is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha. The Matcha latte at Booknook and Bean is created using real Japanese tea ceremony tea, which is premium gyokurō tea leaf, specially dried and ground to a very fine powder, it's kept pure with nothing else added.
Booknook and Bean create their boutique beverages using Tweedvale Milk from the Adelaide Hills or you can go dairy free as Cheeky Organics supply them with freshly made organic almond milk.
Image left: Thanks to Katherine of Booknook and Bean | Image right: via Renew Adelaide
You may recognise Booknook and Beans Husband & Wife team, Katherine and Paul Arguile from their coffee truck,'Great Relish Nomadic Cafe'. The black van with its white picket fence can be found at Womadelaide and other more frequent market events through out the year. The truck is out most weekends, supplying event goers with quality coffee (De Groot of course). If you would like to know where you can find 'Great Relish Nomadic Cafe' you can chase it down on
facebook here.
Images via Booknook and bean | Image right:Chocolate caramel mousse dome w salted caramel centre and almond crunch by Sweet Lola Desserts
Booknook and Bean offer a range of sweet treats, all locally made by experts at their craft. The brownies are by 'Gourmet Chocolate Brownies', with options like Double dark chocolate, salted caramel, Ferrero, sour cherry or blondie, how could you resist. If any of you have ever been to 'Abbots and Kinney Patisserie' you will know what I mean when I say their pastries will take you to Paris and back. Book Nook and bean also offer a selection of gluten free desserts by 'Sweet Lola Desserts'.
Images via Booknook and Bean facebook page & google
Booknook and Bean are in the renewed section of Topham Mall, next door neighbours to
The Beigelry. There is a little lane way off Waymouth St called Anster Street (pictured far right), it's the side entrance to Topham Mall, walk in and you will find Booknook and Bean on your right. Of course you can also enter Topham Mall from either of its regular entrances off Waymouth St or Currie St.
Head on in sip on a boutique beverage, snack on something sweet, peruse the mini book store, drop something in the honesty box in exchange for a book, donate a book, sit down get inspired and write something, so many possibilities, this little nook is your oyster. What ever tickles your fancy, just enjoy!
