A unique collaboration for the Isle of Wight
What started as a chance meeting, because the toddlers were chatting to each other has turned into one of the most exciting collaborations on the Isle of Wight – between us and Carvel Lane Coffee, Cowes.
Alex is always on the hunt for new places to go for a coffee, and having just opened, Jason was attracting a flurry of customers. Having followed us for a while, Jason knew our style, and that he’d love to have some food provided by us in the coffee shop – Alex’s creative juices started flowing!
And so the New York Roll was born. A unique concept for the Isle of Wight, but something that has huge versatility for a range of flavours to suit every preference.
This is the story of how a street-food caterer and a specialty coffee roaster joined forces, how the New York Roll came to be.
What is a New York Roll?
Think of the New York Roll as a portable, coffee-aware take on a hand-held pastry that carries the spirit of a New York street breakfast but with island sensibilities. The roll is a layered, laminated pastry — crisp on the outside, pillowy inside — folded and filled with flavours that play beautifully with espresso.
At its core, the New York Roll is about contrast: buttery dough with a hint of salt, a balanced sweet element that doesn’t try to bury the coffee, and a finishing touch (a glaze, a sprinkle, or a hint of spice) that nudges the coffee to the foreground. It’s designed explicitly to be eaten alongside — and to be elevated by — a expertly pulled shot of Carvel Lane espresso.
The experiment phase – and lots of taste testing!
Alex, being a self-proclaimed perfectionist spent hours developing and testing the New York rolls before the launch date – he wanted to ensure they would be a consistent product that could be proved, baked and served easily by Jason.
He also developed several flavours, which are all available from Carvel Lane Coffee, 6 days a week – consisting of all butter, sweet and savoury options. My personal favourite is the Biscoff one!
We held a tasting with Jason, and his partner Rachel to ensure they loved the product as much as we did. They were all a hit – in fact the toddlers even gave them their seal of approval (which is the biggest compliment, right?!)
By the time the New York Roll launched at the initial pop-up, it felt like a product that had earned its moment.
Always quality ingredients
As with everything we do, we always ensure we’re using the best ingredients available, and where possible local.
We wanted to ensure the New York rolls were the same, as they’re still a reflection of our brand we’ve worked so hard to build.
The flour is from Isle of Wight Grain, using Island grain from a number of farms. The pistachio paste is made by Alex using only the finest Iranian pistachios, which give it that bright green colour! Everything is considered and used to provide only the best final product for customers.
Monthly specials – Festive treats!
We launched the product in October, and since then New York rolls have been flying out of Carvel Lane Coffee, conveniently located opposite Marks & Spencer in Cowes. We’ve seen photos of them on the beach, on the Red Jet and on the other side of the island, so they’re getting about!
We initially launched 6 flavours – all butter, Biscoff, pistachio & chocolate, saffron & date, gochujang & feta and sesame which is the core range, however we’ll be doing some monthly, seasonal specials for you to try as well.
Most recently, we had a delicious pumpkin seed butter roll and a tikka & paneer roll as specials for over half term.
Up next, we have some delicious festive ones for you – perfect to grab as fuel to keep you going whilst you finish the Christmas shopping! And a savoury one, that is perfect for winter!
Why the New York Roll matters — more than a pastry
At first glance, the New York Roll is a pastry made to go with coffee. But it’s also a statement about how small businesses can collaborate to create new value without losing their identity.
Each roll is handmade by Alex, in our Cowes HQ. It involves an early start and a long day in order to single-handedly produce each order, but it’s something that he loves doing, and takes him back to his baker / pastry chef days.
The rolls are proved up to perfection, before being frozen in recyclable sealed bags and delivered to Carvel Lane Coffee in our electric pickup. Jason then proves from frozen and bakes first thing in the morning, so if you’re walking through Cowes at 6.30am wondering what the delicious smells are, it’s probably the New York rolls!
Leading the way in catering innovation
We love that we’ve brought something new and current to the Island. Being separate from the rest of the UK, there is sometimes a worry that things will become stagnant and stuck in their ways over here, however with the huge emergence of social media, specifically Instagram and TikTok, Islanders are being presented with a huge range of cuisines and products that wouldn’t have normally been visible over here.
The New York roll is the perfect addition to the Island. And the perfect pairing to a coffee along Cowes seafront!
