COFFEE lovers who first clapped eyes on each other while savouring their favourite drink are the latest to open their own speciality venue in the town centre.

Speciality coffee culture has been growing in Swindon, and Darkroom Espresso, owned by young couple Jacky Collyer and Andy Carter, is the latest to join the scene after opening in Faringdon Road last week.

“When we met, Jacky was working in Taylor Street Baristas in Brighton and I was studying at uni there, and I spent a lot of time in there,” said Andy, 28, who grew up in Purton.

“After we got married, I thought what a shame it was that there wasn’t anywhere like it in Swindon, especially since there were loads of independent coffee houses like it in Bath and in London.

“And then we thought, ‘why don’t we open one?’.”

So far, the couple have received nothing but praise from customers dropping in on the shop.

“In Melbourne, where I come from, people love their coffee but they don’t use the chains, they prefer to go to the independent coffee houses in their road where they know who owns it and they can get to know them,” said Jacky, 26.

“There are lots of different definitions of what speciality is and it’s difficult to explain it in a sentence. It’s looking at the science behind making coffee, so exploring the effects of the water you use, the beans you use and how they are roasted to make a nicer cup of coffee.

“We also try and keep everything as ethically sourced as possible, and we use milk from Andy’s dad’s dairy farm at Bentham Dairy Farm.

“We’re not looking to attract particularly wealthy people or coffee snobs, we really want to create an environment where people feel safe to come and meet and relax.

“We’re looking to hear from community groups who might want to use the space we have and from people who might want to come and play board games.

“I think Andy’s vision was to create something that he’d have liked to have in Swindon when he was a student.”

Darkroom Espresso opened just months after Baila Coffee and Vinyl joined the list of Old Town cafes, bistros and bars in June, complete with its own distinct artisan atmosphere.

Baila, which also has a selection of vinyl for sale, has only been open 10 weeks but has already developed a reputation for its carefully-brewed coffee and homemade sweet treats, which have made it the go-to venue for music lovers and coffee fanatics alike.

Matt Bailey, who is an actor and DJ as well as owning the business with his brother-in-law Luke Wareham, said: “I definitely think there has always been a scene here but people just aren’t aware of it.

“When we opened we did wonder how Swindon people would take it but it’s been doing so well, and the same with the vinyl aspect but since we’ve opened we’ve had so many different collectors turn up as well a s photographers and travel writers.

“I just think people are realising that they can get better coffee at independent coffee houses for the same price they can at a chain.”

Old Town Hair Salon Vu:Du is also set to join the scene when they open up their in-house coffee shop this week.

The long-awaited addition to the salon will open on Saturday.

To find out more about Baila Coffee and Vinyl, visit www.facebook.com/pages/Baila-Coffee-Vinyl/587276581391586.

For more on Darkroom Espresso you can follow them on Twitter at @darkroomSN1.

For more on Vu Du visit www.vudu-salon.co.uk.