I’m a massive fan of the Longridge high street, which boasts a surprisingly diverse and comprehensive range of small shops and food spots. And nestled among them, Binny and the Bean is perhaps one of the more challenging to find, just around the corner at the end of the street towards Sainsbury’s.
Outside the shop – which opened late last year – the signage is understated. The initials appear in white against a soft pink board, while the window has the full name etched in. I found myself struggling to see it while following the GPS, but once I’d parked up and strolled down the street, I soon arrived at my intended destination.
Upon walking inside, I was pleasantly surprised by the warm and quaint decor, which feels like a blend of a slightly hipster vibe and a high-quality local cafe. One wall displays a range of cards for sale, while another corner features baskets of dog treats. Behind the counter sits a large industrial espresso machine, alongside a range of mouth-watering pastries on display.
I arrived between the morning and lunchtime rushes, so many of the pastries had already sold out, but I was very happy to see that the pistachio cruffin was in stock. I took a look at the menu in-store and found an eclectic offering of food that ranges from açaí bowls to bagels, and even a Korean-style focaccia sandwich with hot honey and chicken.
I ordered The Brunch breakfast bagel for £8 and the Seoul Mate, that Korean-style focaccia I mentioned, for £9. I chose a 54.5% dark hot chocolate for £4.20 – they also have a white hot chocolate and a sweeter milk chocolate offering – plus the pistachio cruffin for £4.70 and a cinnamon bun for £3.80.
I was asked if I’d like the hot drink made up while waiting for the rest of the order, to which I eagerly said yes. Without any additional sweeteners or syrups, the dark hot chocolate has a distinctly deep and rich flavour, with a light frothiness that creates a stunning contrast. It was warming, indulgent, and wonderfully textured.
It took around 10 or so minutes for the rest of the food to come out, but with some chart music playing over the speakers, that time flew by, and I was soon sitting down to tuck in.
My wife had The Brunch bagel, which consisted of crispy bacon, a soft-boiled egg, Emmental cheese (which we chose to go without), a hash brown, avocado, and ketchup. Overall, this was a well-balanced bagel that looked absolutely stunning in terms of the cross-section and colours. However, I was disappointed that the egg was medium-boiled, and the bacon could have been a touch crispier, but that is down to personal preference. My wife, on the other hand, absolutely loved it.
The Seoul Mate focaccia sandwich did end up coming with one substitution, as they were all out of kimchi slaw, but they asked if I’d be happy with some kimchi and spinach instead, and that sounded good to me. This sandwich also consists of gochujang honey chicken, cucumber, sesame seeds, Emmental, and a lightly spiced mayo. With all the sauce, this sandwich did get a little messy, but in terms of the flavour, it was absolutely delicious.
The focaccia had a soft pillowy texture with the signature chew on the crust, the chicken was perfectly seasoned and tenderly cooked as to retain all the juices and delicacy. The kimchi added another layer and texture to the stacked flavour profile with the acid of the pickled cabbage providing a wonderful contrast to the chicken and mayo. And while gochujang tends to have some heat in it, the sandwich was surprisingly mild. Not at all a bad thing, just unexpected.
Moving on to dessert, the cinnamon bun was large and sticky with what appeared to be a generous coating of cinnamon and sugar. However, upon biting into it, the overwhelming taste was just bread. The flavours weren’t combined at all. It was nice, but could have been significantly better.
Meanwhile, the pistachio cruffin that I had seen online before visiting the shop was stunning to see and hold in person, and I was over the moon that despite what looked like a firmer, almost cakey exterior, the entire cruffin was soft enough that it was collapsing under its own weight away from the temperature-controlled display case.
Biting into the pistachio cruffin put the messiness of the saucy Seoul Mate into perspective, because I was immediately met with an overflowing filling of pistachio cream that was distinctly sweet and nutty. I needed to get both hands involved to control the mess, and was soon taking bites of the toasted meringue top, pistachio cream, and pastry while trying to avoid a disastrous spill. But despite the mess, this was an incredible pastry that already has me desperate to return.
Binny and the Bean did not disappoint, with the incredible variety, the attention to detail, and the quality of the finished products. I’d highly recommend that anyone passing by pop in, or even make a trip to Longridge just to get a taste.
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