Derek Lamberton who has designed a coffee shop app, outside Ginger & White on Perrin's Court, Hampstead NW3.

Hampstead man designs bestselling coffee app

by Georgia Graham , Reporter Saturday, May 28, 2011
3:00 PM

»Coffee connoisseurs are a fast growing breed in London – and one Hampstead man has put his finger on the button of the caffeine-fuelled trend.

Derek Lamberton from Hampstead has designed an iPhone and android application for the best artisan coffee places in London.

Coffee, like wine, has become a minefield of tasteless, weak or generic drinks in amongst which some examples of true genius lie.

Final product

“The amazing thing about coffee,” Mr Lamberton said, “is that you can experience the very best ingredients, the very best final product, made by the very best people for a few quid. I certainly can’t afford the best wine, but anyone can afford a wonderful cup of coffee.”

The app, which was listed in The Sunday Times top application list, includes over 70 cafes and stalls, information about roasteries and links to buy beans for domestic use as well as an option to rank your favourite cafés and stalls. It has now been launched in New York and San Francisco.

“I’ve always been a bit of a coffee geek,” Mr Lamberton said, “and I noticed that there was a big London coffee scene – people started asking me all the time where to go to get a good cup of coffee.

“There were lots of apps that offered location based food choices, but I wanted to make a curated app that people could trust because they know each place has been quality controlled.”

Emma Scott whose café Ginger and White on Perrins Court is one of Mr Lamberton’s favourite spots, said: “What is going on in London and the UK in terms of coffee is really exciting.”