Coffee Bean Issue 14
www.coffee-magazine.co.uk Coffee Bean Welcome you all to 2013
in this issue... Coffee Farmers in Vietnam Curb Sales Amid Fast Crop Progress. Should You Put Salt in Your Coffee? GOLDEN TRIANGLE Thailand and Elephant Coffee.
Editor:
Jay Cee
jaycee@coffee-magazine.co.uk
Celebration in Scunthorpe for Sean Fowler coffee taster. Green Coffee extract linked to weight loss. Boston Tea Party opens a branch in Birmingham New Micro Roastery located in Neston, Cheshire.
Design:
EH
jaycee@coffee-magazine.co.uk www.coffee-magazine.co.uk
Editorial Well welcome to 2013 and the first issue of Coffee Bean of the year. It has been quite interesting to see how much there is going on in the coffee world be it in my locality, like a new roastery in Neston Cheshire called the flaming bean just reading the copy they sent over looks like you can order small amounts for your coffee shop or coffee business. Also in this issue Coffee Farmers in Vietnam Curb Sales Amid Fast Crop Progress this in effect means that there will be a 14% price increase for coffee from there being sold around the world which means of course that the price of instant coffee will go up as NestlÊ is one of Vietnam’s biggest customers.
In a recent letter by Starbucks it was said that Starbucks will commit to paying a significant amount of tax during 2013 and 2014 good news for the UK Economy be it a little late in the day. Should you put salt in your coffee? Well I am not sure there are both for and against in this article. From across the pond is about an interesting take on kopi luwak, with Elephant Coffee yes it comes out of elephant dung mmm weird. Then it is time to be proud as Sean Fowler, who is 23 years old, has just picked up a fantastic award from the coffee industry! for Scunthorp. Good on you Sean this is what we need in the UK more good Baristas and coffee tasters. Then we jump to Italy and the Italian
coffee machine manufacturer La Marzocco is know the world over for their high end coffee machines and unique style and are now based in the UK then recently totaly random the anti virus developer McAfee has declared his intention to seek asylum in Guatemala - must be the coffee as he said it is excellent. In the gadget section in this issue is all about the Aeropress which maximises the depth of flavour and applies pressure to squeeze out every last ounce of goodness from the grounds. Well that is it until next time The ED
Coffee Farmers in Vietnam Curb Sales Amid Fast Crop Progress Coffee growers in Vietnam, the world’s biggest producer of the robusta variety used by Nestle SA (NESN) in instant drinks, are curbing sales to seek higher prices after making faster progress on harvesting than last year. Farmers have gathered about 75 percent of the crop, or about 1.1 million metric tons, and sold 360,000 tons, according to shipper estimates. The harvest is set to drop 12 percent to 1.45 million tons from a record 1.65 million tons last season, the survey shows. Robusta traded in London may climb 14 percent to $2,150 a ton by the end of June, a separate survey shows. Curbs on sales from Vietnam may support prices as global supplies increase. Farmers worldwide will gather 56 million 60- kilogram
bags of robusta in the 2012-2013 year, up from 53.3 million bags a year earlier, the International Coffee Organization estimates. Robusta has tumbled 13 percent since the end of September when harvesting began in Vietnam. Harvesting was faster than last year as growers started picking two weeks earlier and the weather was dry, traders said. Dak Lak, the main growing region in Vietnam, had almost no rain and the weather was sunny and “quite” favorable for picking in the first 10 days of December. Coffee Bean Research
In a letter published By Starbucks U.K. Well we have had to run with another short Starbucks story about a letter published on Starbucks U.K. website, Kris Engskov, managing director of Starbucks Coffee Company UK, insisted that “Starbucks has complied with all UK tax laws.” But he said the company “will not claim tax deductions for royalties and standard intercompany charges.” Starbucks had been paying royalties worth between 4.7% and 6% of U.K. revenue to its European headquarters in Amsterdam. “Furthermore, Starbucks will commit to paying a significant amount of tax during 2013 and
2014 regardless of whether the company is profitable during these years,” Engskov said. He added, “We’ve learned it is vital to listen closely to our customers — and that acting responsibly makes good business sense.” And of course their arch rivals in the UK Costa have been taking the edge of their profits. The European Commission is encouraging EU member countries to take action against tax avoidance and abusive tax planning. “Tax planning structures have become ever-more
sophisticated [such] that they reduce tax liability through strictly legal arrangements [that] contradict the intent of the law,” the commission said recently. While EU member states have made “important efforts” to protect their national tax base being eroded by aggressive tax planning, they “are often not fully effective, especially due to the crossborder dimension of many tax planning structures and the increased mobility of capital and persons,” the commission said. Coffee Bean Research
Should You Put Salt in Your Coffee?
pinch of salt in the grounds mmmm not convinced myself though I have tried it, my taste buds didn’t like it.
There are as many ways to drink coffee (and reasons to drink it) as there are coffee drinkers. Are you among the fringe group who prefers to add a pinch of salt to their coffee? Whether in the grounds or as an add-in to the final cup, coffeesalters are out there—in fable or in your very own circle of friends.You just have to look for them. The thinking behind salting coffee is that salt acts as a bitterness reducer, somehow either blocking or tricking our brain and tongue into receiving all of that bitter taste. Now, for some, the dimension of bitterness such as in grapefruit, bitter melon, radicchio, cocoa, etc. is an appealing part of flavour. But in other instances, such as our body identifying toxicity in foods, or more to the point, in professional coffee grading, it can symbolize less desirable characteristics. Flavours categorized by the Specialty Coffee Association as under the “bitterness” rubric can refer to defects, like “caustic, phenolic, creosol and alkaline”. Those don’t probably sound like something you’d like in your morning cup, whether they’re from defect or not. Not all bitterness in coffee is the fault of defect, or the fault of brew, or even a fault at all. But that doesn’t stop many of us from tempering its effects with sugar, milk, or even...salt. If you want to experiment with adding salt to your coffee, opinions are divided on whether to add before or after brewing, but many seem to prefer tossing a pinch or two into the grounds before adding water. Some recent salt experiments didn’t seem to produce any better or smoother dimension of flavour than already wanted from coffee. But the participants did find that the flavours of an acidic and lively coffee did smooth and even out with a
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From Across The Pond GOLDEN TRIANGLE Thailand and Elephant Coffee Well in the last issue we had an article called Elephant Coffee this is just more information about the creator and the foundation the money provides for. It all starts in the GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Thailand (AP) — In the lush hills of northern Thailand, a herd of 20 elephants is excreting some of the world’s most expensive coffee. Trumpeted as earthy in flavour and smooth on the palate, the exotic new brew is made from beans eaten by Thai elephants and plucked a day later from their dung. A gut reaction inside the elephant creates what its founder calls the coffee’s unique taste. Stomach turning or oddly alluring, this is not just one of the world’s most unusual specialty coffees. At £682.21 per kilogram (£310.09 per pound), it’s also among the world’s priciest. For now, only the wealthy or well-travelled have access to the cuppa, which is called Black Ivory Coffee. It was launched last month at a few luxury hotels in remote corners of the world - first in northern Thailand, then the Maldives and nowAbu Dhabi with the price tag of about £31 serving. The coffee’s production site takes place in in the Golden Triangle, an area historically
known for producing drugs more potent than coffee. In the misty mountains where Thailand meets Laos and Myanmar, the coffee’s creator cites biology and scientific research to answer the basic question: Why elephants? “When an elephant eats coffee, its stomach acid breaks down the protein found in coffee, which is a key factor in bitterness,” said Blake Dinkin, who has spent roughly £1861.00 developing the coffee. “You end up with a cup that’s very smooth without the bitterness of regular coffee.” The result is similar in civet coffee, or kopi luwak, another exorbitantly expensive variety extracted from the excrement of the weasel-like civet. But the elephants’ massive stomach provides a bonus. Think of the elephant as the animal kingdom’s equivalent of a slow cooker. It takes between 15-30 hours to digest the beans, which stew together with bananas, sugar cane and other ingredients in the elephant’s vegetarian diet to infuse unique earthy and fruity flavors, said the 42-year-old Canadian, who has a background in civet coffee. I was wondering what about caffeine - won't the elephants get wired on it or addicted to coffee? well John Roberts, director of
elephants at the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, a refuge for rescued elephants has had the Elephants moniterd and it looks like the answer is no. The foundation now earns 8 percent of the coffee’s total sales, which go toward the herd’s health care. Inevitably, the elephant coffee has become the butt of jokes. E.G Crap-accino and Good to the last dropping. Jokes aside, people are drinking it. Black Ivory’s maiden batch of 70 kilograms (150 pounds) has sold out. The founder hopes to crank out six times that amount in 2013, catering to customers` desire for the strange. For now, the only places to get it are a few Anantara luxury resorts, including one at the Golden Triangle beside the elephant foundation. But how does it taste? I am not sure but there are reports of it being Very interesting,Very novel. I don’t think I could afford it every day on my wages but If I could I would try it.
Jay Cee
There was something of a celebration in Scunthorpe, recently. There was something of a celebration in Scunthorpe, recently. It seems that the area has success in the coffee industry to celebrate! What is the good news? Sean Fowler, who is 23 years old, has just picked up a fantastic award from the coffee industry! Fowler has been given Q Grade certificate, the youngest person to achieve this award from the Coffee Quality Institute in California. He is a taster for coffee roasters, Lincoln and York and joined the company last year. He works as a coffee taster and also a buyer. Now that he has achieved his accreditation, he
will move on to some serious coffee-tasting expected to be some 100-120 different varieties of coffee each day. It’s quite an achievement there are only 2,000 such tasters in the world and Fowler had to pass exams and a week-long session of sensory and written tests. So how exactly does this coffee sampling work? We all have images of wine-tasting with experts swirling and sniffing wine in enormous glasses, then sucking it to get the taste. What happens with coffee-tasting? Does it work in the same way? This type of tasting is apparently more like a science experiment. The coffee beans are put in a
glass container and water is poured over them (making sure that it’s at the right temperature) and next the beans are used in different coffee preparations such as filter coffees or espressos.
Coffee Bean Research
Green Coffee extract weight loss With the Christmas holiday over many of us are likely to over eat and drink a fair amount more than usual.. As we all know, the January press will be filled with ideas for shedding excess Christmas pounds, thanks to our overindulgence. One of the many weight loss ideas that has been noted in the news recently is the consumption of green coffee bean extracts. They are said to be a natural way to get rid of additional weight. It is made of unroasted coffee beans
and, as most of us know, caffeine generally is renowned for boosting metabolism and giving us a ‘kick.’ However, the green coffee beans have additional chemicals which are also said to be beneficial for weight loss.
loss averaging around 17 pounds, although there was no significant alteration to their diet. The study looked at 16 overweight adults and they took either 1,050 mg, 700mg or none of this ingredient for the test.
The chemicals include chlorogenic acid which is said to inhibit the absorption of fat and is a big ingredient of green coffee.
As with many medical studies, one small research project is not adequate and more needs to be done. However, with the growing global problem of obesity, if it is found that the humble green coffee bean could help things, this would be a good way of losing weight, I may try it
A resent study suggests that those who consumed the green coffee bean supplements had weight
From time to time, we all have accidents and spillages.
getting a stain.
Chances are that these little mishaps increase over the holiday period, when we celebrate and party with friends we can become overtired and stretched.
Absorbent kitchen roll is a good option, press the kitchen paper into the coffee stain so that it lifts the liquid out of the material by soaking it up. It is a good idea to repeat this as many times as possible, until no further coffee can be soaked out in this way.
Do not panic if you have spilled some coffee on your clothes or carpets. Here are some handy tips to get rid of the liquid without
As with many spillages, it is often better to soak up the liquid rather than to rub it into the fabric of your clothes or carpets. This, in fact, can exacerbate matters.
In terms of carpets, the pile is
often thick, so press the paper hard on the carpet to get every last bit of coffee out, even step on it with your feet or press down with your body weight into the balls of your hands. Running cold water through a stain in fabric is another good idea, especially if the spillage is treated immediately. The coffee can sometimes wash out completely using this method if action is taken quickly enough. If this does not work seek a professional carpet cleaner. Coffee Bean Research
Italian finds new UK home
Italian coffee machine manufacturer La Marzocco is know the world over for their high end coffee machines and unique style.
leading coffee machines suppliers, Caffe Society is now offering the full La Marzocco range to the British public through its website and showrooms.
Founded by the Bambi Brothers, Giuseppe and Bruno in 1927 Florence, Italy, La Marzocco has built its reputation on creating coffee machines for baristas.
La Morocco’s range include the workhorse Linea to the machine described by Gizmodo as ‘Your Barista’s New Wet Dream’ the Strada.
La Marzocco have recently opened a branch office in London, England with the aim of providing support and education to the specialist coffee community which is growing rapidly throughout the UK and Ireland. They also provide support to La Marzocco owners and help provide sales support for the UK market. On the back of this new push, one of the UK’s
The Strada allow the barista to have direct control of the pressure at any point during extraction. This technique, known as pressure profiling, allows the barista to change the pump pressure while producing the espresso to extract the all the subtle flavours from the coffee beans. Coffee Bean Research
McAfee has declared “The coffee is also excellent.” McAfee has declared his intention to seek asylum in Guatemala . The fate of John McAfee remained unclear recently as authorities in Guatemala, who ended the software pioneer’s increasingly peculiar status as a blogging fugitive when they arrested him at the hotel where he was hiding, awaited instructions on what to do with him. Police in Belize, where McAfee has lived for the past four years, are seeking him as a “person of interest” in the murder of his neighbour Gregory Faull. Citing his distrust in the Belizean government, McAfee went on the run. Since his arrest, McAfee appears to have been blogging from jail, where he says he is being “treated like a king” and has been given access to a computer. But it remains to be seen how long he will enjoy the pleasures of detention in Guatemala. “We are awaiting instructions from the foreign ministry. It will be the foreign relations department that decides the process,” said interior minister Mauricio Lopez Bonilla, following McAfee’s arrest recently at a hotel in an upscale part of Guatemala City. McAfee has declared his intention to seek asylum in Guatemala but after his arrest, a government spokesman
said he expected that McAfee would be expelled from the country.However, there is no international arrest warrant for McAfee, and his lawyer Telésforo Guerra, a former Guatemala attorney general and the uncle of McAfee’s 20-year-old Belizean girlfriend, Samantha Venegas, is seeking an injunction for his release. Speaking to press. McAfee said he had been harassed by the Belize government and that he has documentation proving that there is “intense corruption at all levels of the police and government”. “I have for five years lived in Belize peacefully,” McAfee said. “a number of months ago the Belizean government sent 42 armed soldiers into my property. They killed one of my dogs, they broke into all of my houses, they stole, they arrested me and kept me handcuffed in the sun for 14 hours. I was taken to jail and it was only the intervention of the US embassey that got me out of jail.” McAfee retired to Belize in 2008. He made millions as founder of his eponymous anti-virus software company, which he sold in 1994. Cartoonist Chad Essley, who has been helping McAfee run the blog cataloging his life on the road, posted on whoismcafee. com that McAfee had been arrested in Guatemala recently. Three posts have appeared on
the blog since then, reportedly written by McAfee from jail, where he says he is being treated “like a king”. “I am in jail in Guatemala,” McAfee wrote. “Vastly superior to Belize jails. I asked for a computer and one magically appeared. The coffee is also excellent.” McAfee is also engaging with blog readers. One commenter named Jenny offered McAfee some advice on relationships with a large age gap, to which McAfee replied: “I’m too old for pre-nups. Thank you for your support, my friend.” According to his most recent dispatch, entitled “Can’t Sleep,” McAfee’s girlfriend is currently under the charge of his attorney and Israeli bodyguards. In the blogpost, he also wrote about a prison warden who is providing him access to a computer. “He makes me coffee and tells tender stories about his life,” McAfee said. “He is a good companion. I believe I could spend weeks in the desert with him as a sole companion without once becoming irritated.” McAfee said he has reached out to the US and UK embassy in attempt to stay out of Belize. He has indicated that he is bored while in jail but continues to speak warmly about his treatment there.
Boston Tea Party branches up to Birmingham Boston Tea Party Café (BTP) launched itself on to the Birmingham food scene with a private launch lunch and opened to the public in December last year. The new café is located on Corporation Street in the heart of Birmingham City Centre and has created 25 jobs for the local community as well as bringing a neglected building, in the centre of the historic conservation area of Steelhouse Conservation Area, back to life. Sam Roberts, Managing Director of BTP, said “We have had such a warm welcome from the friendly folk of Birmingham and were
thrilled that so many local businesses and foodies turned up to check us out and support us at our launch lunch. Coming to Birmingham seemed like the natural next place to take our small slice of the West Country. Birmingham has a great reputation for supporting independents and is fast becoming a real foodie destination so we felt we would fit right it. We are all about high quality ethically sourced food and drink made on-site with great ingredients, skills and love.” Luther Mattock, Manager of BTP Birmingham, said “Our launch party went brilliantly and our food so well
received that we can’t wait to get properly settled into Birmingham’s blossoming coffee scene. There is a small group of fantastic independent coffee houses already in the city and we hope to slot right in with them. As a local boy I am confident the breadth of our offer - all day breakfasts, takeaway sandwiches, proper lunches, homemade cakes, loose leaf teas – I could go on! - will go down a storm. For a city as diverse as Birmingham, BTP is perfect as it has something for everyone and I look forward to the new café becoming a meeting place for the local community.”
Flaming Bean Coffee Roastery You can taste the freshness! Flaming Bean is a small micro roastery located in Neston, Cheshire. We are incredibly passionate about our coffee, and all our coffees are handroasted using the finest Arabica beans. All our coffees are purchased from reputable sources where the coffee farmers are rewarded with a fair price for their hard work. The overall majority of Flaming Beans green coffee is purchased from farms/estates that support environmental sustainability by promoting organic agricultural practices and honest wages for farmers through better than fair trade pricing. The Fairtrade coffees will be directly imported from the growers, thereby ensuring that they receive a fair price for the coffee which equates to a living wage. Additionally shade grown coffees will also be offered, as they are grown in shaded forests which is ecologically beneficial and promotes both biodiversity and bird life. Small batch coffee roasting consistency is guaranteed. We roast all of our beans by hand, trusting our experience and senses to assist in managing the roasting process. Every bean is from different farms/
countries is different and requires individual attention; our experience allows us to get the most out of every bean ensuring the customer a premium product. ‘‘There’s nothing better than having control over the coffee roasting and blending process,’’ Steve said. ‘‘Like most things in life, if you enjoy and get satisfaction from what you do you will take more care and do a better job than the other guy who is simply doing it for a living.’’
We are passionate about coffee! All of our coffee is created by artisans, skilled in the art of coffee roasting. Each of our origins are premium, ethically grown beans. Our beans are also fully traceable, not only to the region but right down to the individual farms and estates, harvest seasons and batch numbers. In other words, we’re talking the highest quality coffee beans in the world The centrepiece of our retail and wholesale flagship is our 15 kilo coffee roaster, which has been custom made for Flaming Bean Coffee in the
small city of Ismir in the south west of Turkey. The roaster has been hand made by the Aturturk family who have made coffee roasters for the last four generations. Flaming Bean’s exclusive designer blends are available to Cafes, Restaurants, Caterers, Hotels and Offices and are being enjoyed wherever fine coffee is appreciated. 1. delivered on the day of roasting 2. packed on the day of roasting 3. only premium beans used 4. exclusivity of blends guaranteed Flaming Bean’s fresh roasting techniques result in full bodied aromatic coffee flavours loved by coffee connoisseurs.
Flaming Bean Coffee Roastery Unit 39 Clayhill Light Industrial Park, Coalbrookdale Road, Neston, CH64 3UG Phone: 0151 345 0637 Mobile: 07938 857956 E-mail: steve@ flamingbeancoffee.co.uk www.flamingbeancoffee.co.uk
Coffee Gadget Section
The AeroPress The AeroPress® is the ultimate gift for any coffee lover. It allows the user to make and enjoy smooth, rich and flavoursome coffee quickly and easily. Whether it’s at home, in the office or overnight at a hotel that extra special cup of coffee is literally seconds away.
innovative coffee maker is truly value for money, beautifully simple to operate and is the perfect gift to explore the world of coffee. For further information visit www. aeropresscoffee.co.uk
Its unique brewing style allows the use of a finer grind maximising the depth of flavour and applies pressure to squeeze out every last ounce of goodness from the grounds. A micro-filter is used to maximise the purity of the coffee, ensuring every drop is as smooth as possible. It produces an easily disposable puck of coffee (as simple as removing the cap and pushing the plunger) and can be cleaned in a matter of seconds. Professional baristas and coffee roasters agree that the AeroPress® has the ability to produce the same quality coffee as a machine worth hundreds of pounds. Gone are the days of hard to clean fragile cafetières and cumbersome overpriced home coffee machines. This
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