🍩 Hidden Purple & Caffeinated Calm: A Sunday with @lungisalwaysbaking
There are Sunday mornings, and then there are Sunday moments — the kind that feel like they slipped through the cracks of a busy week to remind you how soft the world can be. This weekend, I found one tucked inside a former industrial unit, somewhere between a rich purple doughnut and the hiss of oat milk hitting a steam wand.
Welcome to Unit 3, on Markfield Road in Seven Sisters— a warehouse-turned-community-hub, just off the main drag and humming with quiet brilliance.
I came for my friends (baker-extraordinaire @lungisalwaysbaking), pop up event. Her creations live somewhere between comfort food and art. I left with sticky fingers, a heart full of serotonin, and a new favourite North London coffee spot.
🌈 A Hidden Gem with a Big Heart
From the outside, Unit 3 is unassuming — part of a creative corridor filled with artists, designers, and dreamers. Inside, it opens up: long wooden tables, exposed brick, splashes of colour, and the kind of music that kisses not shouts.
It’s queer-friendly, community-rooted, and effortlessly cool — but not in the intimidating way. It’s the kind of space where you can show up with bed hair and still feel welcome, which is exactly what I did.
Accessibility I noticed:
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Step-free entrance? Yes.
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Toilets? On site, though not fully wheelchair accessible.
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Vegan options? Glorious and plentiful (including almond, oat, and soy milks).
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LGBTQ+ events? While there wasn’t one that day, the space regularly hosts creative and inclusive community gatherings. You can feel it in the air.
🍩 The Pop-Up: Doughnuts That Deserve Sonnets
Let’s talk about the doughnuts.
Lungi's creations are... poetic. Soft, nostalgic, unapologetically flavour-forward. My partner fell deeply in love with the ube ganache — a swirl of deep purple decadence with just the right balance of sweetness and earthiness.
There was a spiced brown sugar glaze that tasted like, to be honest, autumn? Yet a zesty citrus curd hit the back of your throat like a burst of summer. All of it lovingly crafted, and so clearly baked with heart.
You can tell when someone loves what they do. It’s in the dough.
📝 PS: Subscribe to Lungi’s Substack — it’s filled with recipes, and tender reflections on food. A gem worth having in your inbox.
☕ The Coffee: Clipson & Sons, Sourced with Soul
Amidst the excitement of seeing my friend thrive, i then thought, okay, what am i actually drinking? I went into internet deep dive mode, and learnt that my oat cappuccino was brewed with beans from Clipson & Sons, a UK-based roastery that caught my attention.
The roast is a single origin from Colombia, grown at high altitudes in Huila and processed using a fully washed method — clean, complex, but totally drinkable. I tasted soft red apple, toffee, and something slightly floral — like honey?
But what really stood out was their sourcing ethos.
Clipson & Sons prioritise direct trade, working closely with smallholder farmers to ensure better wages, sustainable practices, and traceable production. Their packaging is fully compostable, their operations carbon-aware, and their mission clear: better coffee for everyone involved — not just those of us sipping in North London.
You can read more about their farmers and processes on their website (worth a look if you like your coffee with a conscience).
🧠 After-Coffee Adventures: A Sunday to Stretch the Soul
If you do find yourself near Unit 3 on a Sunday, don’t stop at one cup. This area is quietly rich with creative potential. A few ideas if you’ve got a free afternoon and a curious mind:
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Markfield Park is just around the corner — an underrated little pocket by the canal, perfect for walking off a sugar high or scribbling in a notebook.
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The Markfield Beam Engine & Museum (yes, really) is a delightful oddity — an old Victorian pumping station that feels like stepping into a time warp.
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If you’re feeling bold, take a 15-minute stroll to Walthamstow Wetlands and watch the city dissolve into sky and water.
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Or head east to Craving Coffee, another community gem that often hosts exhibitions, pop-ups, and the kind of conversations that stretch into late afternoon.
Whatever you choose, let it be slow. Sundays are for softness.
This little visit reminded me why I started this blog — not just to obsess over grind settings and burr types (though, don't worry, we’ll get there), but to chase the feeling of coffee. The ritual. The people. The poetry in small businesses that dare to create from the heart.
More cafés coming soon. Next up? East London’s best cortado and possibly another espresso-induced identity crisis.
Until then —
Stay sweet. Stay curious. Stay grounded.
☕
Mills
