Esquires Coffee UK Omdömen 

I visited Esquires a while ago, but wanted to give the company the benefit of the doubt before posting this review. It might seem like a minor issue to some, but when a company promises something as part of its customer rewards scheme and then fails to deliver, it leaves you feeling let down.

When Esquires opened in the recently vacated Starbucks location in Farnborough, we were keen to give it a try. As a coffee lover, I was happy to support a new business in the town. We ordered three coffees and some sandwiches, and I downloaded the app to take advantage of the points-based rewards scheme, as many other coffee shops offer.

Unfortunately, when it came to paying, the rewards QR code/barcode wouldn’t scan. The friendly lady serving us asked the manager for assistance, but they were unable to get the system working. I was given a receipt and advised to contact customer services by email.

I did exactly that. It took over a week to receive a response, which I suspect only came after I submitted a second support request. I was then asked to confirm the email address linked to my account, which I promptly did.

And then… nothing.

No further response, no points added to my account, and no resolution whatsoever. I haven’t returned since.

To be clear, I wasn’t asking for anything unreasonable or expecting special treatment. I simply wanted the loyalty points I should have received in the first place. That was the promise of the rewards scheme, and it’s disappointing that something so straightforward couldn’t be resolved.

What really surprises me is the seemingly blasé attitude towards customer service. A major brand like Starbucks struggled to make a success of this location, and if Esquires is going to build a loyal customer base in Farnborough, surely the bare minimum is to deliver on its promises and respond to customers when things go wrong.

Local businesses rely on the support of the community, but that support needs to go both ways.

A disappointing experience, made worse by the lack of follow-up. I genuinely wanted to support the business, but this has left me questioning whether they value their customers at all.

terrible customer service. I asked if i could have a vegan hot chcolate and the server was blank and then quite rude when i asked if there was anything vegan i could have. i stepped aside to look at the menu and asked if the chai latte was vegan. she made a huge production of looking at the packet and my daughter saw it was vegan. so why be rude to me? i just dont get it. then we had to wait ages for the drinks to be made and we were not told which drink was which so i could have been drinking cows milk accidenatlly. this is not good enough.

Excellent staff and team going above and beyond in Congleton

Lovely service manager exceptional great food and service

Really lovely coffee shop in Swaffham. Food and drinks were delicious with a good range of choices for veggie options. The staff were extremely welcoming and Paras was expecially gracious. We will be back!

Beautiful place with delicious food and great coffee. Oh, and the cakes are scrumptious.
Such friendly staff, especially Paras

Along with so many others, I had a less than inspiring experience at Esquires Coffee, the branch Pinner on September 17 2026.

Unfortunately I was refused service, while watching 4 our customers get served during a time when they were experiencing technical difficulties with their till and could not take card payment. I stated I would wait to see if the technical issue was going to be resolved. That wait was for 20-25 minutes. As mentioned, all while watching 4 customers get served. During that time, I was not given the option to get cash from a nearby ATM but was refused service. Needless to say I will not visit this establishment again. Its unfortunate that the person who made it very clear that my business was not wanted, made sure she treated 4 our customers (one with table service) with the option to get their beverage of choice. I sent an email to their head office online and received the following auto reply:

"If your message doesn't quite fit into the categories above, don’t worry! A friendly member of our Customer Support Team is gearing up to assist you. We're diligently working to ensure a swift response and anticipate getting back to you within 3 to 5 working days. Esquires Coffee Team"

That timeframe has passed and still no response.

Clearly management approved of the person behind the counter's behaviour, which is why it is taking place.

Please note: If you are a person of colour, please be aware you may not get service from this establishment.

What a lovely place , lovely surroundings , lovely coffee . Friendly service very accommodating . Special mention for Paras who was very helpful & pleasant . Will defo return.

I visited the Esquires Coffee in Swaffham this afternoon. It has recently opened and was clean with a delicious menu. I had the baked potato with tuna and I really enjoyed it. The coffee was tasty too. I will definitely visit them again.

The staff are really nice and the service is very good and quick (especially Paras, he was very attentive and lovely) and the food and coffee is good, will definitely come here again :)

Been here 4 times in its first week of opening
Best English breakfast in swaffham
Tasty coffee and comfortable environment
Staff are very friendly, really enjoyed visiting I hope they do well

We went to the one in Swaffham. The staff were nice. The coffee tasted good. But the pricing is ridicules! £30 for a bagel, x1 portion of pancakes, a coffee and a smoothie. We also bought a small carton of kids juice. That’s put me off to be honest.

We found Esquires when house hunting, they are on Harvest Road, Market Harborough. What a great team, always a ready smile, happy to give recommendations on their food offerings. Great tasting coffee, This store outshines the other stores we’ve visited locally and as we are now moving closer this will become our new go to place.

1 star. Apparently being open does not mean they are actually willing to serve you.

This is now the second time Esquires Coffee at The Meads has wasted our time, and after today they have officially lost our business for good.

The first time, we arrived at around 10:00am wanting breakfast. We were told the chef was not in and that we would have to wait.

So we waited.

For about half an hour.

For a chef.

To make breakfast from a café menu that includes things like avocado on toast.

Apparently spreading avocado onto a piece of toast requires specialist culinary expertise. In that case, congratulations to me, because I have just discovered that I am also a chef.

But today somehow managed to be even more ridiculous.

We arrived and sat outside the shop for around 20 minutes waiting before going inside to order. That part is important. We did not walk in two minutes after opening demanding the impossible. We had already been sitting there waiting.

When we finally went inside, the guy at the till told us it was “too early” and they were not going to serve us cooked breakfast.

Too early?

Then why the hell are you open?

If you do not serve breakfast until 11:00am, then SAY SO.

Put it on the door.

Put it on the menu.

Put it on a sign.

Put it online.

Put it literally anywhere a customer might see it before wasting their time.

What you do not do is open a café, display a menu containing breakfast, give customers absolutely no indication that there are restricted serving times, and then casually tell them it is “too early” when they try to order.

There were no clearly stated breakfast hours. No warning. No explanation beforehand. Nothing.

This is not some complicated fine-dining restaurant where customers are ordering a twelve-course tasting menu. We wanted breakfast from the menu of a coffee shop.

And this has now happened to us twice.

Once is poor service.

Twice tells me there is a management problem.

So congratulations, Esquires. Instead of taking our money this morning, you managed to send paying customers straight into another restaurant on the same high street.

We left, went somewhere else, ate there, and they got the money you could have had.

And that will now continue, because we will not be returning to this Esquires again.

There are too many other cafés and restaurants nearby that understand the remarkably complicated business concept of:

If you are open, serve your customers.

Management seriously needs to look at how this branch is being run.

Food and coffee good. Nice ac and sofas comfortable. Service was also good. We were at Hemel branch.

Lovely coffee. I like the table service. Haven't tried the food yet.

I wouldn't sit in here long as there is no aircon so I think back to Costa where I can work.

Milton Keynes (Glebe Farm location):
First visit. Lovely big cafe with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Good display of cold drinks and menu items. Good choice of coffees and teas. Dog friendly cafe. Plenty of dogs visible, all well behaved!. Raised dog bowls between servery and free cold water station (for humans) serves water and dog biscuits. Menu offers free Pupuccino and also has a £5.50 menu option for your dog. Some seating is like high back bench seating, which as a "larger" than average customer, I can find challenging...but the central tables are not fixed to the floor at least. You could always choose one of the other seating styles, or outside. Aircon is installed and it's just right, no freezing under the permanently jacked up blower. Didn't see anyone working on Laptops, but I guess you could. There is free WiFi available, but my 5G was working fine anyway. Hanging greenery from the rafters (albeit faux) is attractive. As a customer with mobility issues (I walk with crutches or 2 sticks) I did find the disabled (and all parking) a little bit further away than I'd like, but I managed ok as it was all nice and flat. No parking outside the door! The entrance door is also lovely and wide, if you do come in a wheelchair. This is a franchised cafe, run by a lovely couple. They also employ a manager, who is also very good with customer service.
Theirin lies the issue with our first visit: I saw a lovely Halloumi and Avocado sandwich in the fridge display, but it (and everything) was in white bread. I asked if I could have it in brown bread and was told yes. I ordered my coffee, got a cold drink also and English breakfast tea for my husband (diabetic so doesn't eat much outside). We paid, were given our table number and went to sit down. About 6 mins later the manager visited to apologise there was no English breakfast tea left and he was offered several alternatives. He opted for Camomile rather than Earl Grey. When it arrived neither of us have ever seen such "fresh" camomile flowers used for tea. See photos. Then, another 5 mins passed and this time the lady owner visited, to apologise there was in fact no brown bread for my sandwich. This was more annoying as being Diabetic my husband eats only brown bread and I do for general health choices. To have such a busy cafe and no brown bread options is far from ideal!.So despite all the options offered to me, I elected to have a refund, which was very promptly bought to me. Whilst on the subject of the menu (see photos) there are plenty of Vegetarian and Vegan options. Just don't forget the Diabetics/healthier bread brigade! It is not the cheapest cafe I've been to, but the food looks great and if you want something "more" than the Costas/Starbucks offerings and vibes, this is a good place to try. They have only been open a month or so, so IF you have a hiccup (or two) during your visit, I suggest you try again in a few weeks, rather than just write it off. It's a new shop on a relatively newborn site (Glebe Farm housing site) opposite a newish school site...so give it time to ripen like a good wine, to it's best potential.

I’ve now visited the new Esquires Coffee in Hemel Hempstead twice, and unfortunately I have to say I’m disappointed. If this is what organic coffee tastes like, I’d much rather opt for non-organic - if that’s even an option here?

On our visit, we ordered two coffees, paid at the counter, and scanned my app for loyalty points, which were never added. It’s a minor issue, but given the overall experience, it doesn't encourage me to return.

The decor is OK, it resembles a 1960's diner, but the hanging artificial greenery feels unnecessary. It’s likely to gather dust over time, which will easily end up falling in to customer's food and drinks. Lets be honest, realistically, it’s hard to imagine every leaf being cleaned regularly.

I did try the tea on a previous visit, and to be fair, that was enjoyable—served hot, made with loose leaves, and presented nicely with plenty of milk (although I personally prefer my Earl Grey without milk).

Now to the main letdown: the coffee (I use that term loosely). My Flat White looked virtually identical to the Cappuccino we ordered - both had weak, bubbly milk froth, with bubbles far too large for either drink. Setting the milk aside, the coffee itself was very poor. It lacked aroma, tasted bitter (almost burnt), and frankly, an instant coffee would have been better. At £4.50 a cup, it feels overpriced for the quality. I’m more than happy to pay for a good coffee, but this was one of the worst I’ve had locally, which is why I felt compelled to leave a review.

The staff are polite, but service is slow, which is perhaps understandable for a new team. That said, I personally prefer being able to watch my coffee being made. Here, the preparation area feels oddly hidden away, almost as if customers aren’t meant to see the process. There’s none of the usual coffee shop atmosphere - no sound of beans grinding, no visible barista workflow, not even the sound of milk steaming. It all feels quite disconnected, and I’m left wondering how the coffee is actually being prepared behind the scenes. It's the theatre of the barista preparing your drinks that makes a good coffee shop.

Overall, while there are some positives, the quality of the coffee and overall experience mean I won’t be returning.

Food was ok not as hot as it could have been, but was tasty. Did take a long time to for meal to arrive. Ware house like building made noise levels loud and unbarable at times especially when it was very busy.
Staff polite and welcoming not the best but not the worst experience.

Not great, very poor service, lovely spot in Congleton but staff need training up to a much higher standard