Every Lancastrian knows Brew. Or if they somehow don’t (there must be some very large rocks in the area if this is the case), they absolutely should. It’s the favourite coffee shop & café of at least one of your local friends, I can promise you that. As for myself, I can probably be found in Brew at least once a week, as I often use it as a meeting place, or as a place to work (in fact, I’m sitting in there right now as I write this… fittingly). The business opened in December 2018, and seemingly going from strength to strength, Brew has become a staple of local café culture.

Owned by Luiza Woods, you can find Brew at 18A Brock Street, nestled next to another female-owned independent business; the Northern Dye House (which encourages reusing clothing and giving pieces a new life), and opposite Arteria (a gallery and gift shop (also female owned)). From a personal perspective, one of the things that has always impressed me about Brew is the excellent service I have always had there – for example, the other day I was in with my mum and she wanted a shortbread of some kind, but it had been sitting next to a blondie with peanuts in it in the cabinet. My mum is allergic to peanuts; not to the point where if she breathes the same air a peanut has a wafted through it’ll be a problem, but if she eats one it definitely will be. Steven remembered this without me even thinking about it, and immediately found some of the shortbreads that had been in an airtight box and therefore not near the peanuts on display. It hadn’t even crossed my mind when I’d ordered it, but it had his, and he’d cared enough to do something about it. I was very impressed. It might only be something “small” but that sort of care makes a very positive impression.

Speaking to Luiza, she said that whilst Brew is thriving, running it hasn’t been without it’s difficulties to get it that way – within fifteen months of opening, the world went into lockdown with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the fledgling business had to find (like so many others) new ways to reach customers, and to continue to offer their delicious products to Lancastrians who suddenly found their worlds an awful lot smaller, centered around their homes or essential places of work if they were still going out to. That was how Baked by Brew was born; with her mum, Luiza started making cakes and bakes so people could have delicious treats at home, or for special occasions, whilst unable to venture further afield to celebrate. It was the era of the viral cinnamon roll (ask anyone who lives on TikTok!), so the popularity of Baked by Brew soared as people sought tasty treats to enjoy.

The main café itself was also one of the first to open back up for coffee, as customers were able to queue whilst socially distancing outside and then take their coffees to Dalton Square, or to other public spaces, to enjoy it. This was a lucky draw due to the way Brew is laid out, with their coffee making/till facilities right near the door, so they were able to operate a sort of kiosk, without having customers enter the shop at a time when that was prohibited. This meant foot traffic to the café soared, as Lancastrians sought somewhere to go for a little change of scene, or that perk that had been part of daily life before lockdown changed everything.

Sadly, Baked by Brew ended as public offering in 2023 as more places opened back up and Luiza realised she wanted to concentrate more on the delicious food offering from the café itself, rather than stretching herself thin developing both. That’s not to say it disappeared entirely as the outfit still provides all the cakes for the café. The public facing side evolved, and Brew now offers catering for local businesses and bespoke events, baking and cooking at their offsite kitchen to provide tasty food (definitely not just cakes!) for lunches, conferences, and celebrations. This is definitely a growing side of the business, with new menus being introduced both in store, and for ordering, by chefs Maisie and Mark. On that note, an exciting new menu was launched on the 8th August 2025 which includes items such as Steak Eggs and Chimichurri, or the new Peach Pistachio Pavlova French Toast (sounds very yummy and I can’t wait to try!).

Other positive points about how Brew is run is they operate a “no managers” staff system. Yes, Luiza owns it, but you’ll see her putting in a shift in the kitchen/pot wash etc. as necessary, no one team member is set above the others, everyone has a role and responsibilities. As a result, they have a slow staff turnover, which is think is a positive marker of any business/team – do the staff actually like working there, and do they stay? They also serve North Star Coffee from Leeds, a brand that centres ethical sourcing and distribution of coffee beans as part of their business model (you can buy whole or ground coffee beans from Brew if you want their blend to make at home!).

After the new menu launch there will be more Coffee Events for people to attend in the evening, as well as workshops with local artisans (these are advertised in the shop or on their social media). As for me, I’ll be heading down again soon as it’s a place to have a great cup of coffee and some very tasty food…

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