Hoxton Bakehouse - Winchester — Restaurant in Winchester

I have been going to Hoxton for my daily coffee for as long as I have been living in Winchester. In pre-Covid times, I would stop by on my way to the train station. I would actually take the long way round just for that. There were and still are other cafes on my way, but I always stopped by Hoxton - because they make the best coffee in town. That is not to say others make bad coffee, Orangery folks make a bloody good latte but Hoxton coffee and pastries are better (don’t have to take my word for it - just give it a try). Hoxton also opens early at 0800 and since it is a bakery, everything is available from the get-go and they don’t have to wait for deliveries (unlike other cafes).

When Covid hit and we went into the first lockdown, it was the only cafe which stayed open. At the height of first lockdown, you could often find yourself waiting 30 minutes to get a coffee and a cinnamon bun (best buns in town - no one even comes close). If one were to be cynical, one could attribute the long queues to the supply-demand issue but the queues have persisted since then. Even now when most of the outdoor restrictions are gone, and Hoxton lets in 4 customers at a time, I often find myself waiting 5-10 minutes to get in.

Hoxton is part of my daily routine and even though I make a perfectly serviceable cup of coffee at home, I still go there every morning. They have the best coffee (part of the credit also goes to River Coffee folks and their lovely Source blend), pastries, and bread in town. Their ciabattas are amazing. Actually they do pretty great toasties and sandwiches too.

Staff is just wonderful, and they are nice even to the grumpy old farts who frequent the place. They happily indulge idiosyncratic preferences (I like my cinnamon buns toasted and they always oblige). Staff is also welcoming of pets (always a good sign). So if you live in Winchester, or visiting, drop by - they have good coffee,...

I have used the Hoxton Bakehouse in Petersfield a number of times and was pleasantly surprised to see one in Winchester.

Myself and a good friend had a cake and coffee a few weeks back and was able to sit and enjoy the experience. We decided to nip in on the way back to the carpark and unknown to us the staff were in the middle of clearing down for the day.

Our original intention was to sit in but having picked up they were closing I decided to switch to a takeway coffee.. The member of staff was incredibly rude and made me feel very unwelcome.. I actually feel stupid for not walking out at this point.

I won't be using this coffee shop again. I suggest that members of staff politely inform customers they are closing down for the day instead of letting customers work it out for themselves.

"Hey guys were are closing down for the day, just letting you know we are only serving takeaway" - this kind of thing would have clearly indicated to people coming what type of environment it was going to be..

I was made to feel stupid for spending my money in here. Very sad that staff members make customers feel stupid..

The one lady working to clean up with the mop was polite as think she realised what going on but the lady behind the till made me feel completely stupid.

I just would like to add I don't actually like leaving bad reviews but in this instance I previously had a good experiences with this brand of coffee shop and wanted people to know..

Could be a specific issue with staff/training however could be problem with the company itself treating...

Good bread, funny people.

This was my first time at Hoxton in Winchester. All my hip Winchester People, who have far better taste than the rest of us uncultured animals, recommend this bakery highly, and I was passing early on Saturday morning - so I pulled up on the pavement, much to the deep sighs of the fully geared lawyer-cyclist sitting outside scoffing a lardy cakelet. Once inside I was met with 3 choices of bread, a white, a brown and a seedy. The two servers eye rolled at each other as I peered at the labels - Patrons of Hoxton are no doubt born with the knowledge of which sourdough they eat. I selected the wholemeal loaf - my latest faux pas. The server rolled her eyes again, and asked nervously "do you want it sliced?". "Oh can you do that? Sure", I replied, confidently in my best King's English. With a final eye roll and a sigh, she kindly put the bread in a machine to slaughter it into sliced bread and with that action reduced this artisan loaf into to realms of an Asda-bought Kingsmill - destroying the magic. I received a final glare "murderer!" as I paid and exited sharply.

The sourdough is good, I have to say, at least 4/5. It's a tiny bit under-developed for my taste compared to my own loaves but certainly worth the five quid that saved me baking it.

I'll no doubt return, but I'll be wearing sunglasses and a gold chain...