Bar Hashery shortlisted in York Press Best Coffee Shop 2024

Bar Hashery is shortlisted in the top 10 coffee shops in York as voted by readers of The Press, in a competition which honours some of the best businesses in the city.

Readers can vote for the Best Coffee Shop 2024 by picking up a copy of The Press newspaper until Saturday December 7 and sending in a voting slip.

Co-owner Jolanta Labutyte with colleagues Cassidy and Srijana (Image: Kevin Glenton) The winner is set to be announced in the week commencing December 16.

The Press met co-owner Jolanta Labutyte at the three storey café in Bootham, which she and her husband Praffuljha took over in 2022.

In 2024, the couple also opened a kiosk in York Railway Station and a bakery in Micklegate, in addition to taking over the management of The Union Coffee House in Leeds for its owners.

The ground floor interior looks out onto St Leonard's Place in York (Image: Kevin Glenton)

Jolanta said: “At first we decided to continue with the legacy created over the 10 years it was open before we took it on, we kept the name and we added a more casual approach to it.”

The second floor, which offers a view along St Leonard’s Place and the nearby Bootham Bar, was converted from a subscriber only hot-desking area, said Jolanta, with groups of regularly returning students whose campus was nearby coming in.

She said: “It was like we knew their timetables, because, like clockwork, we would see them.

“Now, we also attract different groups.”

Savoury pancakes are a speciality at Bar Hashery, the co-owner said (Image: Kevin Glenton) Jolanta said both she and husband had worked in the hospitality industry, and that they don’t enter into each other’s area of expertise in the business.

On receiving news of the top 10 shortlisting for Best Coffee Shop in York from readers of The Press, Jolanta said they were very happy, adding that sometimes a business can think ‘does everybody, or nobody, know about us?’.

The co-owner paid tribute to the coffee shop scene in York, citing establishments such as Spring Espresso as an inspiration for activities in Bar Hashery.

Bar Hashery in Bootham is open over three floors (Image: Kevin Glenton)

She said: “The main focus is to treat our guests are if they were in your own house and give attention to the person coming through the door.

“Many visitors may not return to York, but our aim is that even so, they will remember us.”

The food speciality in Bar Hashery in Bootham is the savoury waffles.

Jolanta said: “We needed to do something that York doesn’t have, so we avoided the sweet toppings and thought to ourselves, anything which goes on top of sourdough could also be put on a savoury waffle.”

Bar Hashery’s co-owner said the latte and flat white are their most popular drinks, followed by a pressed, fresh juice created by a member of staff known as the Georgy.