Our Story
Our goal was to create a unique space for people to unwind, away from the bustle of the busy high street, with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Our unique design takes inspiration from many independent cafes we’ve been to, in some of our favourite cites, which include NYC, Berlin, Dublin, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Boston, Brighton, Amsterdam and of course London.
With a trained chef at the helm, the goal is to source as much quality seasonal fresh produce as we can (locally and nationally) from independent growers and suppliers, so that our menu is constantly evolving.
All our food is cooked from scratch, with a nod to nostalgic home cooking and brought up to date.
We also have a retail space within the cafe offering a selection of specially curated food and lifestyle products to complement our cafe food, coffee and beverage offer
The inspiration for the name of the café came from the owner’s childhood nickname, which he earned a short time after been introduced to foraging growing up on a tiny island in the southeast coast of Ireland.
I was the only kid at that time who liked the taste of wild Sorrell, as well as the abundance of rocket, berries, and various fruits and nuts available in the wild. The other kids including my brothers and sisters didn’t like the Sorrell as it tasted sour to them, but to me it tasted great, which is why they christened me sour leaf.
I was also mostly drawn to the other sour tasing berries and fruits, such as gooseberries, blackcurrants, raspberries, pippins, lemons, and limes, and this serendipitous attraction to the sour side of the meadow and forest, meant I had little competition for the spoils of seasonal foraging, but it also gave me an appreciation for fresh produce and flavour, which was a key factor in my decision to train as a chef some years later, after we moved to the mainland.
