THE PHILOSOPHY OF FRESH COFFEE

How did I get here? I thought. I was bereft, dumbstruck, barefoot and paralysed in the kitchen. The kettle had boiled, for what? I had no coffee. I am a barista, I write about coffee, I work for a coffee roastery, I live round the corner from another, yet I have no coffee. How did […]

COFFEE OF THE MONTH: TIMOR-LESTE EMERA

Emera is back because you loved it – and that is the only excuse we needed to get it back into our roasters and hoppers. This is a Hybrido de Timor varietal, and believed to be a spontaneous hybrid (that’s the translation of ‘Hybrido’, for those who don’t speak Spanish) between the Tipica and Canephora […]

COFFEE OF THE MONTH: INDIA THALANAR SUPERNATURAL

If you’ve been to, or heard any stories from anyone that has been to India, you’ll know anything associated with the country described as supernatural is somewhat… natural. India is a land of contrasts and intensities, colour, chaos and mysticism. Everything seems hyper-real and surreal. The story of Brother Baba Budan, the beloved godfather of […]

Brazil Mantiqueira Sitio Melado hold in hand

COFFEE OF APRIL: BRAZIL MANTIQUEIRA SITIO MELADO

We’re showcasing coffee from Miguel Fonseca’s farm in Brazil this month. His 84+ crop is situated on the bonny slopes of the Mantiqueira Mountains. He’s spent years improving and rejuvenating his land, the soil, varietals planted, and practices and technologies used on the farm. And the quality has skyrocketed.  Varietal & flavour notes This crop […]

Hole in the wall

The Enchanted Hole in The Wall

Of all the ‘Hole in the Wall’ cafe’s that I’ve visited, I’m quite sure that none of them have been literal holes in walls. Maybe a cavity. A cavernous opening. A mouth even. No, not a mouth.  There’s been no little portholes like on a ship, or letterbox slots in London doors, or food tray […]

Burundi coffee bag held in hand

COFFEE OF THE MONTH: MARCH

We’re showcasing this juicy, syrupy sweet coffee from Burundi. It is grown in the Bubanza region, which is located in the northwest of the country. At an altitude of 1700 meters above sea level, the coffee plants in this region benefit from a cooler climate and nutrient-rich soil. The combination of this unique terroir and the […]

Bright Roast Ethiopia coffee beans bag held in hand in our Roastery

Coffee of February: Bright Roast Ethiopia

Our farmer Tesfaye Bekele is so passionate about coffee farming that he has traveled extensively throughout Central and South America to visit coffee farms and learn about different cultivating and processing methods. This washed coffee is from Guji, where the most original Arabica varieties, known as Heirloom, grow. Under Heirloom you find wild varieties that elaborate […]

A COFFEE CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

The best part of gift giving is the spreading of Christmas cheer. The worst part is Christmas shopping. It is a decidedly uncheerful time of carpark duels, frenetic bells jingling in carols like a ticking time bomb, and withstanding the arctic glower of the overworked shop assistant.  Let us help you make this time less […]

SPARKLE BLEND: OUR CHRISTMAS COFFEE

Merry Christmas! We love this time of year, and one of our favourite things to do leading up to it is crafting a blend that fills our hearts and tummies with all the Christmas cheer we can fit into a bag. This year we were playing around with some really great combinations of origins, and […]

COFFEE OF OCTOBER : COLOMBIA : NATURAL : RUM AGED

By Ignacio Rodriguez La Palmera   This experimental coffee by Finca La Palmera is really something special. First the coffee is exposed to dry Anaerobic fermentation for 24 hrs. The whole semi-dried cherries are then put into grain-pro bags for a further 50 hrs to continue to ferment. And for the finale the dried coffee […]

FIKA: AUGUST EDIITON

We did a little spotlight on the Yemeni coffee scene this month (check it out here) and I thought, since the middle eastern, hot dusty vibe is one of my all time favourite wavelengths, I’ll just roll it on into this month’s fika too. It’s tasty, and it’s warm. Eat. The Middle East has delightfully […]

COSTA RICA : COFFEE OF AUGUST

The Santuario project have been innovators in coffee processing. This lot was soaked in a juice made from coffee cherries before pulping, a process which is said to jump start the flavour development, it is then pulped retaining 65% of the pectin fruit layer and then dried (black honey process). If this wasn’t unique enough […]