The Living Room is an eye-catching addition to the city centre
We try Living Room at Jubilee Central in Hull(Image: Sofie Jackson – staff)
A new coffee shop that pledges to make a difference to the community has sprung up in Hull city centre. The Living Room serves breakfasts, lunches, sandwiches, fresh bakes, and coffees.
Based in Jubilee Central in King Edward Street, the coffee shop has been thoughtfully decorated with a modern twist on 1970s colour palletes – think lots of earthy browns and oranges. It felt very clean and very cosy.
Jubilee Central is a charity helping long-term unemployed people back into employment, and revenue from the coffee shop is hoped to support its ongoing work. Those who fondly remember Hull restaurant The Hispanist will be happy to hear its owner, award-winning chef Nick Hill, has joined the kitchens of The Living Room.
You can sit where you like – sofas beside the floor-to-ceiling front windows are particularly inviting – then you make a note of your table number and order at the counter. I picked avocado on toast and a decaf latte.
It was not long before my latte arrived. It was served beautifully with just the right level of milky froth. Those who are vegan or dairy-free can choose from milk alternatives of coconut, oat, or soya.
The flavour was lovely, quite light, but still with that toasted coffee bean warmth. The only way I could tell it was definitely decaf was due to my heart not leaping about.
Next up came the avocado on toast. This was described on the menu as “avocado with whipped ricotta, hot honey, and sesame house mix”. The menu said there was also a gluten-free and a vegan option.
I’ve never had whipped ricotta before, so I was not sure what to expect. To be honest, it wasn’t for me, but I found the bread underneath was really very special. According to the menu, I was eating ‘Luke’s Bakery sourdough country loaf’.
It had a beautiful, slightly nutty taste. The texture was like ‘real bread’ rather than the slightly elastic stuff you find on a supermarket shelf.
The sourdough I would definitely order again, but if picking avocado on toast I would forgo the ricotta and the honey combination. I think my preference would have been for a more curd-like cheese with a stronger flavour, perhaps feta.
The avocados seemed very fresh, but were a little overpowered by the honey dressing.
I didn’t quite have room for a slice of chocolate mousse cake, although it did look wickedly decadent. I would visit The Living Room again, and look forward to trying something else.
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