May 2011

• Holmfirth Arts Festival: Street Pianos

  Fri 27 May, 2011
  

  I’ve been helping out recently with the Street Piano project for the Homfirth Arts Festival, which has been both fun and very intriguing! The Fair Traders Co-operative has been instrumental in finding old pianos from the local area that can be jazzed up ready for the Festival itself, taking place in June. There’ll be lots going on during those few weeks to keep locals and visitors interested. Here’s how the event has been described, but we’ll keep you up to date as the time approaches:

  The streets of Holmfirth will be alive with the sound of piano music during June this year. For over two weeks, as part of Holmfirth Arts Festival, pianos will be placed around the centre of Holmfirth for festival-goers to stroll up and play. Holmfirth Arts Festival and The Fair Traders Co-operative are working together to develop this event and to make it exciting, engaging and unique, with opportunities for all to take part and to enjoy the sound of impromptu piano performances across the town.

  Throughout Holmfirth Arts Festival, which runs from June 11th to 26th, five upright pianos will be positioned around the streets of Holmfirth for anyone and everyone to make use of. The project provides an open invitation for the passing public to tinkle those ivories and air their talents! Even those with no piano-playing prowess are welcome to have a go – the idea is to make music and have fun for fair trade and for the Festival. It is hoped that...

• Laynes Espresso Now Open in Leeds City Centre

  Wed 25 May, 2011
  Laynes Espresso

  For anyone who loves coffee, and especially those in West Yorkshire, you must go and pay a visit to the new Laynes Espresso coffee bar on New Station Street in the city centre of Leeds. Opened by the hugely respected barista Dave Olejnik, the place looks great and backed up by some of the best coffee in the region,

  When I popped in on Friday’s first day opening, they were serving up a sparkling Yirgacheffe single origin espresso through their Synesso machine, roasted by Square Mile.

  Well worth a visit when you’re in the area and an important landmark on the north's coffee map.

• New Probat Sample Roaster

  Wed 25 May, 2011
  Probat Sample Roaster

  For those who heard that my beloved, old sample coffee roaster had been (very) out of action for a few weeks then there’s great news today – a brand new, double barrel sample roaster has arrived from Probat in Germany and I’m very happy indeed. The small capacity sample roaster is one of the most important pieces of equipment for any Roastery, especially when used in tandem with daily cuppings, so whilst I’d managed to “borrow” an alternative bit of kit (long story) it’s nice to be back in a more familiar saddle.

  If the El Injerto auction samples arrive from Guatemala this week, then they could be featuring in the new roasters’ debut performance. What a lucky bit of cast iron with lots of samples and trial roasts over the coming weeks.

  New Colombini grinder also in place in the Mule Roastery today and hopefully that’ll be up and running in the next few days.

• Keswick Fairtrade Event: Celebrate Coffee, Celebrate Ethiopia

  Wed 25 May, 2011
  Oromo Coffee Company

  Tomorrow – Thursday 26th May 2011 – sees the “Celebrate Coffee, Celebrate Ethiopia” event at the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick which is open to the public. Damian is attending and undertaking a short roasting and cupping presentation, and brews of Oromo Harar and Yirgacheffe coffee will be available throughout, courtesy of Abiyot and Tariku of OCC in Ashton under Lyne.

  The event runs from 10.00-12.00 and is repeated again from 1.30-3.30.

  There will be a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, performances from the rich history of coffee by Keswick Street Theatre and students from St Benedict’s School, Whitehaven and you can also learn more about Choche (village and community in Ethiopia) from the exhibition in the Friends Gallery: “CHOCHE: LIVES AND LIVELIHOODS”, which is on from 18th May to 20th June.

  The disappointing news is that there should have been visitors in attendance from Choche: Shek Mohammed Abafita, Chair of Choche Coffee Farmers’ Co-operative, Sisay Alkasa, Director of Choche School and Dagne Feyera, from the Rotary Club of Jimma. Sadly their visa applications into the UK have been declined for “economic” reasons. They were also due to visit the Roastery here in Holmfirth next week so that is no longer happening either. Coincidentally, we were also due to host Kenyan visitors on that same day, organised by the Lorna Young Foundation as part of the young peoples’ trade...

• New Harvest Colombia Guayata, Specialty Preparation from RACAFE

  Mon 16 May, 2011
  

  A good Monday morning all round, as this year’s batch of Guayata sneaked into the Roastery too.

  This coffee – our second year of roasting this – comes from a close knit group of 60 producers in the Tenza Valley, Boyaca primarily growing Typica Arabica at a healthy altitude of around 1750m.

  Cupping and tasting notes to follow soon…