Past entries
THE NINERS
IDENTITIES REVEALED
Coffee Masters is a multi-disciplinary global barista tournament designed by Allegra Events and coffee creative duo Rob Dunne & Victor Frankowski. The competition sees some of the world’s best baristas compete head-to-head, in an extreme test of a barista’s skill as they contend for the prestigious Coffee Master. ...
Read MoreCurds & Whey
A signature drink created for UK Coffee Week To celebrate UK Coffee Week, we have designed a signature drink that explores and celebrates the relationship between cocktails and coffee in our bars and restaurants. We have taken inspiration from the robust and vibrant flavours of our recently developed espresso...
Read MoreCarbon Neutral/Positive farming in Brazil
My first visit to Brazil was in 2013, and I’d come away with the classic assessment, that it was a country of never ending coffee hills, humongous coffee processing plants, gigantic semi mechanical farms, and in general, felt there was a lost love for the art of coffee production. I’m...
Read MoreLondon Coffee Festival
'Origin' series: Part 1 - Brazil
London Coffee Festival asked us to write a four part series about our travels to origin in the search for 9 coffees to be used in this year’s Coffee Masters competition, held at the festival in the Old Truman Brewery, Shoreditch. First stop, Brazil.
Read MoreCar Boot Natural – A unique processing method
An interesting phenomenon occurred on our recent trip to Colombia. Whilst cupping in Armenia we came across a dry process coffee that blew the minds of all cuppers present.
Read MoreCaravan on Tour Simon in New Zealand June/July 2015
Since Christmas 2014, I have had the privilege of returning to New Zealand twice. From these trips, albeit only months apart, I have been able to see obvious changes in our thriving industry. Both here in London and down under, two things have stood out for me more than...
Read MoreBrazil – Land of opportunity
There’s an awful lot of coffee in Brazil, this much we know. Historically known as the global powerhouse of the coffee world its production has by and large been focused on commercial grades and quantity. Sadly this has often come at the price of innovation within the specialty sector...
Read MoreMotherland Farms Washing Station
My journey to Rwanda in June was an eye opener in many ways. None more so than my first visit to a washing station where I got the chance to see how the process works first hand and connect all the dots that I have read about and talked...
Read MoreGuatemala Finca el Hato – Back from the brink (A lesson in progressive farming)
This summer we began to work with an exciting new producer in Guatemala as part of our sourcing program for the Market Blend. Choosing a new coffee and producer is often the result of many months of emails, Skype calls which usually culminates in a trip to origin, so...
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