Introducing Idle, our new café in Stratford

We’re all about equitable treatment and quality of service, so following the success of Nook at Docklands, we’re excited to launch Idle, our shiny new café in Stratford.

Like Nook, Idle is about affordability, quality and choice for students. With the cheapest coffee on campus, deals for days, and filling food on the cheap, Idle is the best option for coffee, lunch or a mid-afternoon treat for students at Water Lane and USS.

Run by East London Students’ Union and staffed by students, Idle is part of our growing social enterprise. That means opting for Idle will directly benefit students. Any profits made in the coffee shop will be reinvested into our work to improve their university experience.

Idle is located in the Students’ Union (Arthur Edwards building), so it’s right in the heart of the action. Why not grab lunch before a Students’ Union event, or enjoy a coffee as you relax in the existing seating space?

Why Idle?

Idle is another word for lazy. Our students are anything but, and we want to encourage you (and staff) to take a moment to really relax. University life can be super busy, and it’s important to remember to just… breathe.

What better way to do that than with a delicious coffee?

Idle is a cosy haven for doing nothing at all. Whether you’re chatting with friends, savouring a meal deal or just idling away the afternoon with a good book and a latte, Idle’s your place to just be.

Our tongue-in-cheek messages reimagine inspirational quotes, encouraging you, our students, to move slow and sip things, or to simply sit down between your studies. Forget hustle culture – rest is a radical act.

We hope you’ll join us as we open for the first time from 08:00 on Monday 15 September, just in time for the new academic year. Because busy minds need Idle coffee.

Our menu

Our drinks menu features all the classic coffee drinks you’d expect, plus teas, hot chocolate and more.

Fancy something to eat? From pastries to porridge, we’re serving hot and cold breakfast items. At lunchtime, choose from a delicious range of sandwiches, toasties, panini, soup and salad bowls.

Naturally, there’ll be plenty of freshly baked sweet treats on offer, too.

To keep things affordable, expect lots of money-saving offers including bargain breakfast combos and a classic lunchtime meal deal. We’re also working on delivering a loyalty scheme to help you save even more cash on your coffee.

Sustainability

Idle has been created with sustainability in mind. That means we’ve done plenty of research to ensure our suppliers and products have environmental and ethical credentials we can be proud of.