3 minute read
St Ives Farmers’ Market
A chat with Jane Roderick of Potterbeans
A business which combines artisan coffee with pottery is an unusual idea. How did it begin?
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Steve Brown has a screen-printing business in Blackwater, but he also loves renovating old machines, and during lockdown, he worked on a rare 1950s coffee roaster – it’s definitely the only one in Cornwall. That was the start of the roastery. Steve then renovated an Italian roaster which would have been in use in the 1940s, and he now has a 1970s roaster as well. Steve’s partner, Lucy Brown, is a potter. She uses black clay and turquoise glazes to try and recreate the colours of the beach and the ocean in different coffee regions, such as Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, Brazil and the Dominican Republic. Lucy’s pottery is designed for everyday use, and includes espresso cups and tumblers.
Can you describe some of your coffee varieties?
Our Guatemalan coffee has a light citrus aroma and a subtle hazelnut taste, and the Cuban is full-bodied, with flavour notes of chocolate and nuts. All three of our roasting machines add their individual signatures on the roast. We put two of our coffees in for the Taste of the West this year – the Mexican decaffeinated and the espresso blend –and both were awarded gold. We’re very pleased, as the business only started in October 2021.
What else gives the company its distinct flavour?
Sustainability is very important to us. Steve sources the coffee as green beans from different countries. Once the beans arrive, they don’t sit on shelves: fresh beans make fresh coffee. We roast in small batches, and on some days, we deliver the coffee to customers the day after roasting. Our packing is paper, compostable and starch-lined, with no plastic. We have an all-electric van, and Steve buys renewable energy. Where does the wood for roasting the beans comes from?
We source it from Working Woodlands Cornwall, a community interest company which aims to regenerate Cornish woods by bringing them back into sustainable management. Our 1950s roaster is run on solar-dried Cornish oak which they supply to us, so the whole coffee roasting process is as carbon-neutral as it can be.
Where can people buy Potterbeans coffee?
I do St Ives and Mousehole farmers’ markets, along with our barista, Sammi Hardisty, who trained in America. We take 40p off if people bring their bags back to the farmers’ market for refill. We also sell Lucy’s pottery on the stall. We started off just selling beans, and the first coffee we ever served was here at St Ives Farmers’ Market. People loved the flavours of the different coffees and kept coming back. We were then asked to come to the Cornwall Homes Show, where we served 2,000 cups of coffee! Both coffee and pottery can be ordered online, and we supply refill shops in Perranporth and Truro. People can also pick up freshly-roasted beans from our base at Blackwater.
Potterbeans, Blackwater Studious, Truro TR4 8HW 01872 229848; https://potterbeans. coffee
Belgian Inspired Licensed Café
Here at the family run Bier Huis, we are passionate about sharing the authentic dining and drinking rituals that Belgium has to offer! This hidden gem, tucked away in the St Andrews St Hideaway Quarter, offers the largest Bier collection in St Ives with over 75 bottled and 7 draught belgian varieties. Open daily from 12pm-10pm, you can expect to enjoy lunch or dinner with a relaxed atmosphere in grand surroundings. Our knowledgeable and friendly team are on hand to guide you through your journey of Belgian discovery! Bookings recommended through our website, takeaway Bier available all day.
01736 797074
16 St Andrews Street, St. Ives TR26 1AH
