Coffee Jam – Renfrew’s brilliant new café

Armed with high expectations and even larger appetites, the team head to Renfrew’s Coffee Jam for an incredibly tasty afternoon.  

There’s something to be said for knowing your craft inside out. As when you do, your goals will be obtained at an even faster pace. In the case of Coffee Jam owner Jamie Macleod, she has deftly transplanted her experience of working in a chain coffee shop and applied the lessons learned to her own, independent business.

Despite the fact that Jamie and the team only opened this Hairst Street eatery in December of 2021, word of their affordable yet expansive menu has spread so fast that not only is the place bustling with locals at all times, but they’re already attracting repeat business from as far away as Largs. 

A long gestating dream that has now come to fruition, Coffee Jam has a homely charm to it which ensures that its clientele cuts across all age ranges. Enveloped in a lively soundtrack of pop hits, our trip got underway with a pair of oat milk lattes which, based on sheer richness and taste alone, quickly made it clear that no stone has been left unturned when it comes to sourcing great produce. 

The Ultimate Jam

Opting for The Ultimate Veggie and The Ultimate Jam (pictured above) respectively, both the meat-free and more carnivorous versions come with two poached eggs that sit atop immensely thick homemade potato scones and different variations on square sausage.

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Separated by halloumi on the veggie side and black pudding and bacon for everyone else which, in Paul’s words, was “crisped up to perfection”, each of these abundant and incredibly tasty mounds of food are finished off with liberal helpings of tangy sriracha jam which serves to tie each disparate element together.

Coffee Jam pancakes

In addition to getting all of their meat from nearby A Bannatyne Butchers, Coffee Jam also stocks the very best in local cakes. Incorporating the ingenious creations from Bad Bitch Bakes, Beardy’s Bakewell, Dee Dee Delights, Bake By Liv and scones that are crafted on location, we opted for a milky bar blondie and a slice of one of Bad Bitch Bakes’ cookies and cream pie which both satiated the sweet tooth and then some.

An exemplary cafe that offers not just excellent cuisine but an inherently comforting ambiance, Coffee Jam seems primed to become a staple of Renfrew’s community and with any luck, its success will galvanise the town’s food and drink scene right along with it.

Coffee Jam, Hairst Street, Renfrew PA4 8QD, follow on Instagram.