Drink Up

In our regular drinks column, Kevin Fullerton tries a few tasty beverages and lets you know exactly what he thinks of them. This month we need Kevin to talk about . . . speciality coffee

It’s time to chuck your fetid freeze-dried granules out your grubby window, because this month’s drinks round-up is pitching a tent in the tantalising territory of speciality coffee. As an out and proud coffee snob, I’ve ensured that all this month’s selections hail from local Scottish roasters with an easy-to-source ethical supply chain, so no mediocre supermarket fare here. Each bean was ground with an electric grinder and consumed without milk or sugar after five minutes of brewing.

First up is a Colombian bean from Dear Green (£8.95 for 250g), produced by the Amaca Women’s Co-op in Congo’s La Mayanga region. These beans smell so good that I wanted to pop two of them up each nostril and breathe them in all day, such is the rich chocolatey scent that’s only strengthened after a few seconds in the grinder. The taste itself becomes a little more complex after brewing, revealing a top note of citrus, but the omnipresence of caramel and chocolate is lush and undeniable.

Unlike Dear Green’s instant olfactory hit, Sacred Grounds Coffee Company’s selection from Ethiopia’s Bensa District (£9 for 250g) didn’t strike me as particularly special in that initial nasal exploration of the bag. But the brewing process cracked open an aroma of Parma Violets that was gloriously pungent. After letting the beans settle, the taste took an unexpected but not unpleasant left turn into smoky territory, with a smooth aftertaste of honey that would make this the perfect accompaniment to an afternoon slice of cake.

The caffeine had kicked in by this point, my heart palpitations ranging from ‘mild’ to ‘should I call an ambulance?’ Yet nothing could stop me from immediately tearing into my third choice, Edinburgh-based Artisan Roast’s Kenyan beans (£8 for 250g). Sourced from a co-operative factory in Kenya’s Kagumo Town, these beans are drenched in the scent of currants straight out of the bag. It’s a wintry aroma that continues in the taste and, as with any selection from Artisan Roast, is maintained until the very last sip. As coffee makers go, this is a company that could never be accused of subtlety, but this is still the best of an incredibly accomplished trio.

BAR FILES We ask creative folks to reveal their favourite watering hole

SINGER-SONGWRITER LUKE LA VOLPE

I love St Luke’s & The Winged Ox, and not just for the name. It’s a former church run by proper music people, and standing on stage with the stained glass behind you, looking out at the balconies and a choir singing back your lyrics really does have a holy feeling to it. I finished a tour supporting Lewis Capaldi there and opened for Tom Grennan the night I quit my job to do music full-time. Selling out my own show last December was a dream. The food’s great and the after-shows are legendary, usually with more live music in the bar to keep the party going. Heaven. n Luke La Volpe’s new single Freakwave is out now with full EP Lifelines released on Friday 15 July; he performs at TRNSMT, Glasgow, Friday 8 July; Over The Bridge, Edinburgh, Sunday 31 July.

SEW GOOD

Megan Merino pays Bawn Textiles founder Bevan O’Daly a visit to learn how ethics and environmentalism intersect with her love of fabrics

Textiles are the building blocks of many of our most prized possessions, as Irish artist and textile conservationist Bevan O’Daly knows all too well. Spending half her time prepping historic garments, carpets and tapestries for museums and organisations like the V&A, National Trust and The Burrell Collection, and the other half launching her own company, Bawn Textiles, she’s somewhat of a fabric connoisseur. ‘My background is in textiles as a form and understanding their chemistry and structure,’ she says, sitting in her shop in Glasgow’s Southside. ‘It’s very hard to explain how you know it’s a good quality fabric; it’s down to a lot of years of knowledge.’

O’Daly took Bawn Textiles from online-only to a physical shop in May 2021 (in line with the reopening of all nonessential shops after lockdown), establishing herself as a high-quality textiles and sewing atelier with a strong environmental conscience. ‘I just made it my purpose to be really selective about what I choose to stock. There are only two or three other companies in the UK that are as specific and strict with their sustainability criteria.’

From favouring 100% pure fabrics (due to their recyclable properties) to avoiding strong patterns, longevity is always at the forefront of O’Daly’s mind. ‘I used to go into fabric shops and I was just blinded by all the patterns. So many people in the UK are making their own clothes now which is obviously to do with people’s ethics and the quality of the high street going down. But by not stocking many patterns, you’re allowing people to choose really good quality basics that will stay in circulation for longer. For example, it’s much easier to pass on a plain blue shirt than a leopard print shirt.’

Naturally, starting a brand new business had its challenges: ‘I had massive ideas about what the shop would sell at the beginning but, to make it work, you have to break it down and start smaller.’ Starting with 18 specially selected fabrics and slowly building to the 60 now on display has taken time, with minimum order quantities and cagey suppliers making it difficult to maintain high ethical standards. ‘I have such a respect for the weave structure and engineering of fabric. You have to just keep asking the questions and putting the pressure on as much as possible until suppliers eventually see this is information that people want to know. The more transparent it is, the better.’

It is this attention to detail and honesty that her customers value most, with some making journeys from Newcastle and Brighton to get their hands on fabric. ‘There’s a lot of small independent fashion designers that shop with us too,’ O’Daly says. ‘Again, they don’t have the cash flow to buy minimum orders, so they’ll start their process here. It’s nice to support their goals as well.’

What, then, would O’Daly most like to see her textiles used for? As it turns out, nothing at all. ‘I love the actual fabric. I care about what people do with it but, at the end of the day, I would much rather they didn’t cut it up because I just think it’s fabulous on its own,’ she laughs. ‘But what people then go on to engineer in terms of clothes is also amazing. I’m definitely learning more about that process as time goes on.’

Bawn Textiles, 613 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow, bawntextiles.com