In the sleepy market town of Macclesfield, there’s a bright pink coffee shop serving up great coffee, incredible bakes, fit sandwiches and immaculate vibes.
Located on the corner at the end of a little row of shops, 219 Buxton Road is home to the delightfully Instagrammable Yas Bean, which must be pronounced with all the flair and sass of someone who’s enthusiastic about Eurovision year-round and loves a Taylor Swift bottomless brunch.
Run by husband duo Mika and Dan, Yas Bean opened the doors to their bricks and mortar store in August 2021. The pair had lost their hospitality jobs during the pandemic and began selling coffee to their neighbours out of a gazebo.
Their side-grind soon progressed to a horsebox on a church car park as the couple became weekly market traders, before evolving into a thriving and inclusive coffee shop complete with a friendly community of makers, bakers and everything in between.
Jake and I popped in last weekend following a visit to the nearby National Trust Hare Hill, and it’s the perfect place for a pitstop if you’re looking for somewhere to chill for an hour, or for a grab-and-go lunch.
Inside the all-pink cafe, there’s seating for around eight people, with a couple of chairs outside, too. The terrazzo-style tables are super cute, and it’s ideal for couples with enough space for a couple of drinks and a plate.
On the drinks menu, there is a range of hot coffees from cappuccino to flat white, with a choice of iced coffees with syrup and sweet cream add-ons. The cafe caters to a range of dietary needs, with oat milk, gluten-free and vegan milk options, including whole milk from Hopewall Farm in nearby Poynton.
Yas Bean also serves up a classic English breakfast tea, as well as peppermint, lemongrass and ginger or Earl Grey, but also alternatives like turmeric, chai lattes and a ceremonial matcha.
Onto the cold drinks, you can choose from a selection of soda like grape or mango, as well as smoothies, pink iced teas and frappes.
Coffees are priced from £2.40 to £3.50, with teas ranging from £2.50 to £3.75, with some of the more premium drinks creeping up to £4.75. It’s as pricey as a Starbucks or one of the three Costa Coffee’s located in the town – but undeniably more fun, welcoming and wholesome. Not only are you paying for an excellent, locally roasted coffee from Kickback Coffee, you get a much more exciting experience and at least two Instagram posts out of it.
I initially ordered a chai latte and lemon cupcake, while Jake opted for a raspberry soda in a bid to beat the heat. The chai came served in a gorgeous hand-thrown and beautifully glazed mug from Pen-y-bont Ceramics, which are, in fact, based in Macclesfield, not Bridgend. The coffee shop also stocks some of their wares to take home, too, alongside a plethora of products from local independent businesses including cards, tshirts and pin badges.
The drinks were delicious, but the lemon cake stole the show – moist and zingy with the butteriest icing, topped with candied lemons for that extra tang. The shop’s bakes are actually made by Dan, with a choice of vegan and non-vegan cakes, doughnuts and brownies to eat in or take away.
The team recently launched their new postal brownie boxes, which cost £16 for four door stop bakes in some iconic flavours like honeycomb and blueberry cheesecake.
It was also lovely to see that the venue is dog friendly, with treats for their four-legged customers available on the till. While we were there, a very friendly doodle, called Toby, came in and lapped up all the attention from customers (me mostly, actually) and I made a note to bring Phoebe and Frank along for my next visit.
The whole time I was sat sipping my chai latte, Jake slurping his soda through the straw, I had been eyeing up the sandwiches sitting in the cabinet, chiefly, the ‘very fit ham’, priced at £6.
It had been giving me ‘the look’ from across the room, so I decided to take it home to enjoy later. Slow-cooked ham hock from the Spearing Butchers loaded on Masa Bakery’s ciabatta – it’s a proper local affair and it was just as slutty as I’d hoped it would be.
As well as meat options, Yas Bean also offer gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options, and for the fact it’s all homemade, locally sourced and wonderfully presented, it’s reasonably priced for Cheshire, too.
On my way out, I grabbed a frappucino to go, opting for the basic with caramel syrup, which was a great way to round off the trip – though I am a bit gutted that I didn’t top it with a Homo Simpson vegan doughnut for extra indulgence.
Online, their marketing is as vibrant as their little shop, their tongue-in-cheek tone weeding out the right people before they even make it to the shop, making it a safe and sociable space for the LGBTQ+ community and their allies. And if Aldi’s social media manager ever quits their job, Mika and Dan should totally be next in line.
Open 7.30am to 3pm on weekdays and 8.30am to 3pm on weekends, Yas Bean is a feel good shop absolutely slaying the coffee and cake scene in Cheshire and if you happen to find yourself in Macclesfield, this pink palace is the perfect place to fuel up on sugar and caffeine.
Read more:
- Hearty wholesome country pub dining at The Plough Inn at Eaton, Cheshire
- The Old Garages: Where to brunch in Wilmslow
