Cupping Room: Main Talking Point
“A Coffee Prologue”
My intention is to provide a generalised theory on mainstream coffee here and now, at least from my perspective (which is a bit northern, so sorry those of you elsewhere who are way ahead of me.) Hopefully over the next year or so, we’ll be able to spark some discussions on more detailed coffee related topics, and lighten up a bit in the process.
Mainstream coffee has become much more high profile and consumers are beginning to enjoy it in new and exciting ways, but it has lost touch with its origins and cultural heritage. We have begun to jump the quality gap between instant “coffee” and real coffee, but that good work is often undone through questionable sourcing and the fact that consumers are less willing to transport the coffee experience back into the comfort of their own home.
Coffee at the mainstream level has become anonymous, and synonymous with the rather milky, bland espresso based drinks that choke our high streets. You can almost begin to argue “but where is the coffee in amongst all of this?” particularly when some retailers are still unsure exactly where their beans came from and what they represent.
As the consumer becomes more confident in asking for espressos, lattes and cappuccinos, where is the self-assurance to request a single estate Kenyan and the knowledge that it is actually unlikely to taste too good through an espresso machine?
It seems that anyone can become a coffee “expert” and open up a coffee shop without worrying too much about the coffee itself. And in reality the first part is true, anyone can become a coffee expert, but the coffee shop education should be led by consumer needs not by niche, profitable enterprising.
Perhaps the first counter-argument against this is that there is a danger of “biting the hand that feeds you” which has added irony if you’re a Grumpy Mule. There can be no doubt that the re-establishment of a “coffee culture”, with coffee shops at its heart, is driving the consumers yearning for better coffee.
Where do we all fit into this picture? It can certainly be argued that we’re becoming more discerning about what we eat and drink. There is a desire to find out exactly where our products comes from, why they tastes like they do, and why they are better than the standard, anonymous fare. Great coffee does not need to be hidden by lashings of milk and wacky flavourings - indeed, its complexity grants it enough weird and wonderful flavours of its own. And this is the just the beginning.
Speciality coffee comes from an attitude, not from a speciality farm. Farms producing great coffee do so because they harness the benefits of their local environment and have the desire to treat their coffee in such a positive manner, from the tree to final processing, that the outcome is a vastly superior quality of coffee bean.
The opportunity is here to enjoy some of the most unique and awe-inspiring coffees at home, on your own or with family and friends, without it being an intimidating or expensive experience. So, let the coffees speak for themselves.
Damian
October 2006
