2000 Trees: Pigs x7
It was nearing the end of day one at 2000 Trees Festival 2023, but the Mutt gang hadn’t packed up for the evening yet. That’s because we were waiting to...
READ THE STORYFrom Brick Lane to Bangladesh and back again, Shahin of Artisan Coffee talks to us about the beans he’s made his living, with his Akita in tow.
How did you get into the bike scene?
I used to ride mopeds in London, but I learned to ride motorbikes in Bangladesh. My family’s from there. I went over there about eight years ago and it’s just absolutely madness there. You can’t get anywhere in a car so everyone rides these little motorbikes, like 150cc.
What about your coffee journey?
The story of Artisan, basically Artisan Coffee first opened in Bangladesh, I was there and there were NO coffee shops at all. I was sick and tired of not having coffee and complaining to my wife all the time. She said “you’ve got to stay here, so just open your own”. I ended up thinking, yeah, that’s a really good idea. Found an espresso machine and a spot and it’s open. It sort of just went crazy… People were waiting for that kind of coffee and it was just really good.
Coming back to the UK…
I grew up around Brick Lane. I was born around here and then my family moved out here. This is sort of the first time back to Brick Lane, coming back to the community, opening the shop, now it all just fits in really well.
So where did you hear about Mutt?
When I came back, I’m doing a bit of research for the shop. I went around different coffee shops to try out the coffee and just look at the scene. And I saw the Bike Shed on YouTube and it was just around the corner from the shop. I visited there, looked at all the bikes and I was like, yeah, this is really cool.
As soon as I saw the Akita, I was like, this is the one. It’s got that really cool look. I was going to get a Mongrel at first, but then I saw the Akita.
How does your Mutt fit into your lifestyle?
I ride my Akita every day to work, run errands, you’ll see it parked up outside the shop every day. It fits in so well with my London lifestyle. I really do go everywhere on it. Even though it’s a 125cc you’re faster than most. It’s my little bit of freedom.
What is your perfect day on a Mutt?
I’d love to just go out of London somewhere, maybe ride up to Mutt HQ, take a long ride up.
What is next for Artisan Coffee?
A second branch in London. Maybe Central London or even Camden. Then maybe after second or third here we want to take it international, maybe Dubai. That’s like the sort of dream.
So what would be some advice that you’d give to someone considering getting into riding?
I’ve had a lot of customers who aren’t riders, they’re always asking about my bike in particular. The look sells it and then everything else is a bonus. Everyone thinks it’s a much bigger bike because of the chunky tires and just the look of it. As soon as you tell them it’s a 125cc they’re like, oh wow! Suddenly riding is at their fingertips. My advice will always be to take it easy and just enjoy it.