About us
Who we are
After 12 years of working in the coffee business, Aron, Founder and Managing Director of The Espresso Lounge in Tring, has amassed a huge amount of industry knowledge and contacts and is combining his life’s two great passions by launching a series of events “Caffeine and Cars” showcasing award winning coffee alongside aspirational car brands.
“Our intention is to bring together two worlds that we’ve been interested in for longer than we can remember. There’s an army of people who love both speciality coffee and fabulous cars: whether for the precision engineering, attention to detail or skilled craftsmanship involved. First class roasted coffee beans and beautiful cars have one thing in common – quality!
“The Espresso Lounge today is a go to for many drivers as they simply enjoy the environment and the comforts of the space we have created. Both Clare and I have always valued quality, but as a couple we also work hard and never give up. Why do we care so much - the answer is simple - passion and drive. Two key attributes we share with the drivers we know today.”
“Our events will voice the journey for both Caffeine and Cars by collaborating with those who can strengthen the brand and network.”
— Aron
Aron
Aron’s coffee career began in 2010 after working for several years as an engineer and then as a business manager. From humble beginnings in a converted van with an espresso machine in the back, The Espresso Lounge grew to its first shop in Tring in 2011 serving specialty coffee and brunch to the locals. Along the way Aron has competed in various professional barista competitions including the SCA latte art championships and the Coffee Masters held at the London Coffee Festival. On both occasions he reached the semi finals and walked away from Coffee Masters ranked 6th!
The coffee shop recently moved to an old banking hall on Tring's bustling High Street, large enough to accommodate their coffee roastery alongside a dedicated barista training ground & retail space.
Here they will host their ‘Caffeine and Cars’ charity events aimed at bringing together people who love great coffee and fabulous cars.
Clare
Clare’s cooking journey began at the age of 15 with her first job in a restaurant kitchen. Although sidetracked along the way by an English degree at King’s College London, and a brief career in business management, she soon returned to food after setting up The Espresso Lounge with husband Aron. 12 years on her flair for food and hospitality remains and her drive to create beautiful, simple, well-cooked food continues. She has recently trained professionally at the prestigious Leith’s School of Food & Wine and pairs her simple, delicious food with barista training experiences at The Espresso Lounge. Needless to say, Clare remains an ardent coffee lover to this day.
Her ethos is “Keep it simple but do it well.”
Accolades
Voted in the TOP 10 coffee houses in the UK by Tripadvisor.
Great Taste Award (1 star) for their Ethiopian organic pods (2021)
You know you’re in good hands at The Espresso Lounge, whether you order a flat white or an Espresso Martini!
Both Aron and Clare work tirelessly to bring the best food and coffee to their customers all whilst juggling two young children and a labrador.
Our Charity Partner
Project Waterfall is the charity of choice for the coffee community working to end the water crisis in our lifetime. 771 million people around the world don’t have access to clean water. The majority live in isolated, rural areas – the same areas growing our coffee.
While we enjoy the purest filtered water in our coffee, the communities at the end of its supply chain face a water crisis.
Caffeine and Cars is proud to be part of ending this crisis.
“Nothing makes me more emotional than meeting the grass roots of a campaign. The farmers today, especially those who are independent or small farmers, still struggle with the day to day basics such as water, electricity - the basic luxury of life. My goal is to give back to these communities sharing profits and endorsing their hard work by improving the soils upon which they live and from which we coffee enthusiasts enjoy the fruits of their labour on our daily commute to work – fantastic coffee!
Not only is it crucial to have the main basic instrumentals for survival, but the bigger picture here is to strengthen the infra structure such as schools, sheltered market towns. Today, people get driven away from the reality of life and poor conditions others have to experience. If we can help improve this, not only will life be better for more farmers, but also we can benefit the coffee society itself by education and knowledge.”
— Aron
