March 2010

• Is Fairtrade coffee yesterday's product?

  Tue 23 March, 2010

  During some research this week we visited a number of coffee and sandwich shops most of which seem to think they are ‘doing their bit’ by offering Fairtrade coffee. Some tasted great but many of them served something that was an insult to good coffee and the Fairtrade movement. Do the people specifying coffee understand the difference between good and bad or do they buy it on price alone?

  One criticism levelled at Fairtrade coffee is it’s poor quality, we know that this need not be the case – there are some great Fairtrade coffees around – try our Fairtrade Organic Sumatra for example.

  If the coffee trade does not raise its game, all the hardwork done by the Fairtrade Foundation will be lost. Fairtrade is not yesterday’s product but we must work hard to ensure that quality continues to improve.

  Ian

• Who is the largest customer of coffee from Peru?

  Mon 22 March, 2010

  When I visited Peru (see my visit report) in July 2009, the Colombian Coffee crisis was just taking hold. With a massive reduction in the Colombian crop last year – which has been followed by a similar deficit this year – Colombian Coffee is in very short supply and consequently prices are continuing to rise. Faced with supply shortages, I heard stories of Colombians crossing the border to buy as much Peruvian coffee as they could find then shipping it to Colombia and rebagging it as Colombian, thus netting a large profit because Colombian coffee fetches a large premium compared with Peru.

  After all, who can tell the difference between Colombian and Peruvian coffee?

  We know the problem is getting worse and this was highlighted to me on Friday by a coffee trader acquaintance. He said, "the trade knows that this is happening but it has been going on for years". The inference being that most traders don’t seem to care - as long as they make a profit, they are happy.

  The good news is that here at Grumpy Mule we CAN tell the difference and we do not accept substandard beans. Our excellent Fairtrade Organic Colombian Equidad has been out of stock for 2 months but it is ‘on the water’ and due in...

• Great restaurants deserve great fresh coffee!

  Fri 19 March, 2010

  I have a new purpose in life!

  There are many fantastic restaurants in this country, unfortunately most use ‘average’ coffee. I can never understand why, after a great meal, diners are served with either insipid ‘sock juice’ or a substance which would nicely fill the potholes of the nation’s roads. If a restaurant is serving a wonderful high quality food offer, it deserves to be complemented by the best coffee. We are going to actively market some great quality Grumpy Mule coffees to the best restaurants. Watch this space!

  Ian Balmforth, MD

• Sterling depreciation increases cost of coffee beans

  Thu 18 March, 2010

  We are currently wrestling with huge price increases in our most important raw materials due to the weakness of Sterling against the Dollar. Together with worldwide shortages of the best coffees, this has pushed up prices of our green coffee beans by up to £3 per kg. Whilst this is an extreme example, if we wish to continue supplying great gourmet coffees, we have to accept these cost increases which are beyond our control. No business can absorb such changes and I hope our customers will understand that any changes will be kept to a minimum. 

  Ian Balmforth, MD

• Grumpy Mule coffee wins second in UK Barista Championship 2010

  Wed 17 March, 2010

  We have worked with First Choice Coffee for many years and I am delighted that Dale Harris did so well to finish 2nd overall in the final of the UK Barista Championship (UKBC) held at Hotelympia last week. Dale is one of the best coffee baristas in the country and we have enjoyed working with him to develop a winning coffee. Dale used different blends in the heats and chose the brilliant Nicaragua La Picona – a Cup of Excellence winner – for his bid for the title. Dale’s smoothness and seemingly effortless presentation were a joy to behold and his cappuccino is the best in the UK.

  Visit the Grumpy Mule shop to view our full range of award winning online coffees.

  Ian Balmforth, MD