Just Bean

I adore Just Bean. It makes me sad to think how little I get to sample their delights now that I don’t work in town anymore. It used to be a solid staple lunch for me, back in the day, and it’s nice to see they’re still in action. For a start, they’re cheaper for baguettes than most places, so you invariably end up saving a bit of cash when you eat from there. They also have an amazing deal whereby after four pm (I think it’s four) they sell off any remaining baguettes at half price — an excellent way to avoid wastage and offer their customers a great deal! Also, they serve a mean coffee, and possibly the most deliciously freshly squeezed orange juice you will ever get your lips around. It is utterly delicious!
For a delicious indie style lunch, awesome enough to kick the butt of any greasy Greggs, come to Just Bean. The staff are totally lovely and always up for a bit of banter. Their prices are excellent. And their beef and horseradish baguette is really something else!

How long has Just Bean actually been in Leeds? I forgot to ask the guy in the green apron, maybe as I was a little perplexed to have fallen across Just Bean having not previously noticed it’s existence. I have no idea how I hadn’t noticed it, the signage sorta screams out at you with it’s fairtrade and organic and fresh advertisement tags.
Being a small outlet hot milk isn’t regularly on the go, so you can stand there and be unsociable, or engage with the green apron guy and find out just why it’s so much more beneficial to pick your caffeine indulgences from fairtrade outlets.
Wishing I’d just walked the extra foot leather back up to the train station for a train station Starbucks, I was shamed and delighted when my overly particular latte arrived. First, my preconceptions about organic and fairtrade outlets was that they were ridiculously overpriced. This was not, in fact it undercut regular coffee haunts by about 20−30%. Impressive. Ok so, it’s cheaper, it’s gonna be crap? Nope not at all. In fact it was lovely, really nice, smooth, punchy coffee that was a definite surprise. Customised excellence I do believe.
Wandering by on sunnier days and you might be tempted by the smoothies on offer, but for me it’s all about the coffee. Just a damn shame that there is no seating, it being, technically a stall rather than a shop, but excellent for urbanites wanting to pick up a no queues coffee, sandwich and naughty but organic cakes for dinner hours.

In my opinion Just Bean does the best coffee in Leeds. It uses organic and fair trade produce and packaging which is also a bonus. You can buy a selection of food such as fruit, snacks, baguettes and panninis which inlude vegan options. The smoothies and milk shakes are a great pick me up and there are lots of varities to choose from. And if you don’t fancy that you can get soup of the day for £1 and even porridge! Just Bean caters to a diverse spectrum of people. I would say that it is mid-​price but you do get value for money and you can save money if you buy any drink with a sandwich. A healthy but satisfying experience.

After having walked around town for a few hours on a chilly day I started to feel cold and in need of a caffeine fix. That’s when I spotted Just Bean.
It is a small vendor type shop but that has a permanent residence and is built in to the wall. It is run by a lovely lady who was really helpful and with whom I had a nice cheery chat with as I waited for my Organic Cappuccino. All of their coffee and other products on sale (baguettes, tea and fruit drinks) are organic, and they are a proud outlet of Fair Trade. The coffee’s are amazingly priced at around £1.30 — £2 each. It was the best coffee I have had in ages. Creamy, but not sickening and just the right amount of coffee to make a perfect pick-​me-​up without making you a jabbering mess. I would definitely recommend you visit Just Bean if you are in need of somewhere to grab something on-​the-​go. The only draw back is that you can’t sit in.

Just Bean is not a café, not a coffee van but a permanent stall built into a space in between two shop buildings in the city centre. Just Bean caters purely for customers who wish to takeaway.
The owners of Just Bean place huge emphasis on the importance of drinking coffee from an ethical coffee plantation. All Just Beans menu boards point out that all beans are organic. They serve coffee, tea, cold drinks and fresh baguettes, all of which are made with natural and organic ingredients. If you hate the fatty latte’s with extra cream and chocolate sprinkles that Starbucks serve up, this is your place. The staff are friendly and will make your coffee just how you like it!
I do love getting a coffee from Just Bean as I often pass it on my way through town. It always feels better to drink an organic coffee than a fatty latte.
The staff are very friendly however I do feel for them as they often look chilly in the rain. That is Just Beans only downfall, the bad weather and its lack of indoor seating. I would much rather stand in the warm of Costa for 4 – 5 mins waiting for my brew than stand in the rain outside Just Bean. Nevertheless if it i a good day I would choose Just Bean over a bigger chain brand any day.

Nestled away in an unassuming side street opposite eco-​Mecca Out of this World, Just Bean is a little stall that serves up delicious snacks and drinks to rival its neighbour’s slightly healthier fare. Their main focus is on coffee, and their ethical, fairly-​traded blends are definitely among the best takeaway coffees I’ve ever had, but their sandwiches and smoothies deserve a mention too. A good place to come to get lunch on the go, and if you get a ‘meal deal’ option its comparable pricewise to Subway and a darn sight tastier.