EssentialInterview
currently works with many high street names in the coffee shop and retail arenas. It also works with other roasters to enable them to provide an enhanced service to their customers, including short runs and contingency requirements.
James - who likes to shoot, fly fish, play tennis and football to relax and
Lincoln & York prides itself on sourcing the finest raw ingredients from around the world and providing premium roasted and packaged coffee products to clients in the UK and Europe
unwind - prefers to drink his coffee with milk as a filter. His current favourite is Guatemala Antigua. "There are many imitations but the real thing is very special," he says. There is some controversy surrounding the quality - or otherwise - of sustainably sourced coffees, certainly among London's artisan baristas. So what does James think of Fairtrade/Rainforest Alliance/Utz Certified coffees? Is the quality there? "They all have their merits," he begins diplomatically. "Quality is relative but you can get good coffees from all three certifications. However, what people should realise is that a certificate does not relate to the coffee bean quality itself. It only relates to the organisation that has grown, or traded the coffee. I am a good driver not just because I have a driving licence!" Sourcing coffees for your own café/coffee shop can be fraught with pitfalls if you don't know what you are looking for. Has James any advice? "Find a good local distributor or roaster who can supply what your business needs. This is not just about the bean, but also the machinery and the training and support." James himself is extremely knowledgeable about coffee. Is it something anyone can pick up or do you have to have 'a nose' for good quality coffee, I wondered? "You need experience, enthusiasm and common sense. You can learn how to taste and grade coffee. Most people have all the taste requirements needed - the rest is training." I asked him to share some of his knowledge about the different characteristics of coffees grown in different countries or regions. "You find acidic coffees in East Africa, in countries like Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia. Mellow and mild coffee comes from South American countries like Brazil, while Indonesian coffees are heavy, musky, spicy and chocolatey. West African coffees, on the other hand, are full bodied and harsh."
Intriguing...makes you want to find out more, doesn't it?! About twice a year James goes out to visit various coffee producing
regions. "We look to build on relationships already established and to see if the way coffee is grown suits our business. Being a farmer's son, I have an appreciation of the issues facing the growers and the skills they need, and I don't get too hung up on whether the coffee beans are fantastic while I am there.
"I'm more interested in if the land and crops are being farmed well. Quality generally follows on from that." What does James think about the current trend amongst artisan baristas towards single cup filter coffee? Will it replace espresso-based speciality coffees as the preferred beverage of the masses? "I would doubt it," he says. "However filter coffee should be an important element of a coffee shop's drink offering. There are some great single origin filter coffees out there. With coffee brewing technology improving all the time, the taste can only get better." What does the future hold for the UK coffee shop market? "More shops, less shops, different trends, more innovation and improving quality..." And James, where does he see himself in five or even 10 years' time? "Still here, hopefully." By which he means, I take it, still at the helm of Lincoln & York, running a successful business whose strengths include sourcing the finest raw ingredients from around the world and providing services ranging from expert consultation through to packaging the finished product.
James is a sporting man, counting shooting, fly fishing, tennis and football among his leisure pursuits. Centre image: checking the quality with business partner Simon Herring (right)
More information: Lincoln & York T: 01652 680101 W:
www.lincoln-and-york.com
Information about any advertisements appearing in this issue:
enquiries@essentialcafe.co.uk
Essential Café 37
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