NE Coffee Society…
Last monday(15/11) I went along to the first official North East Coffee Society meeting , held very kindly by Stuart Lee Archer of Pumphrey’s coffee at their roastery/showroom. It was a pretty informal affair, with experienced coffee pros and amateurs coming together to try some coffees and chat.
The idea was to cup a few different coffees and try and develop our palettes, while comparing the taste and smell profiles we identify for each. I took along my two current brew bar offerings(Guatamala El Bosque and El Salvador Finca Argentina) which lined up alongside some of Pumphrey’s own blends and some samples Joe from Flat Caps managed to acquire. It was definitely interesting to line up some very different coffee origins and roast styles, and we came up with some rather unique taste identifiers for the less popular coffees!
After that we sat and chatted for a bit about different brew methods and machines, then had an impromptu mini latte art throwdown on Stuart’s espresso machine and even a little teaching session!
I would definitely recommend anyone with an interest in coffee to follow @NEcoffeesociety on twitter and try and make it down to a meeting, we have a few ideas for future meets, from more coffee tastings to brew method experiments to ale drinking evenings, all with plenty of chat!
p.s. keep an eye out for #nelatteart(potentially #throwdownthursday) on thursdays for twitter based latte art throwdown fun!
Our breakfast options…
Quick post to elaborate on the breakfasty things we’ll be doing at Piccolo. The idea came about when I was walking down to open up, thinking about what I could eat. I didnt really fancy any of the traditional Grainger Market fare (bacon stotties, chips, etc) but couldn’t think what else was available. And thus, the idea to offer up some healthy options to market patrons and those on their way to work was born! I have kept the menu intentionally small initially, that way I can ensure the high quality of each of the items on it.
Breakfasts at Piccolo 15/11/10
Organic Deluxe Muesli(with hot or cold milk) £1.50
Organic Porridge £1.50
Granola and Natural Yoghurt £1.70
Weetabix *ahem* ’Wheat biscuits’ (hot/cold) £1.10
All served with a choice of Raspberry Jam, Apple Rhubarb and Ginger Compote, Honey or Maple Syrup.
Croissants/Pain au Choc £0.90
Equipment!
So, following on from a fair few chats about machinery and brew methods, I thought I would fire together a quick post about the various bits and pieces I use around the shop.
First off, espresso! I managed to pick up a La Marzocco Linea 3EE second hand, which I then had shipped to the good people at Coffeehit.com for refurbing and modifying. In the end I kept it pretty much stock, though I have switched out the brew buttons for newer versions(which I’m still not sure I like…), added newer narrow double spouts and put on a slow flow steam tip. I also use Synesso double baskets which I sourced from the good people at Square Mile, and have one of my portafilters machined naked. At some point I’ll no doubt add a PID controller though for the moment I have the machine set to 93C and it is more than stable enough to serve my purposes. I use an Anfim Super Caimano Barista which I got from Hasbean, and as expected from the top of the range Anfim it kicks out magnificently even, fluffy and gorgeous grinds.
Onto Brewed! At the moment I just have a Mahlkonig Vario for grinding brewed coffee beans, I toyed with the idea of a Dip or second hand Ditting but settled for this for the time being, I plan to upgrade as and when brewed becomes more popular! I offer pourover from V60 cones or Aeropress brews, and have the standard Hario pouring kettle for dispensing water in as needlessly showy way as possible!
So that’s it, I think. The important bits and pieces I use every day. Of course there are standard scales, jugs, tampers etc, though I’m sure I’ll mention them more as and when I get around to blogging about brew methods.
First week…done!
So, first six days in the market under my belt, and pretty successful I would say. Everyone seemed to enjoy the Kicker blend, and the two single origins. Even sold a retail bag of the Kicker on Saturday, which was unexpected but brilliant! Also had some great chats about coffee and brew methods, so thanks to all who came down for a natter.
On the cake front, had some great reviews of Stacie’s Brownies, and short notice cupcakes from Suzy (Mighty Fine Cupcakes) went down a storm as well, getting some more of them in next week.
Will be blogging more down the line on the equipment (which so far is holding up well…), as well as plans for increasing the range/getting new suppliers in, so watch this space!
T minus 6 days!
So, one week of manic building, several days of carefully planned deliveries which didn’t necessarily arrive when they were supposed to, and now the last few days of trying to pull everything together and make the place look and function like a shop! Will be blogging up some photos of the final place and of the stock during next week when I’m there all day every day!
Happy to announce that from day one I’ll be pulling the (frankly incredible) Kicker blend from Hasbean. I sampled this a month or so ago when Steve was still nailing the blend and it was mind blowing, cannot wait to try out the finished product. It’ll hopefully showcase something different to the normal dark roasty blends a lot of cafes use, pleased to be able to offer something a bit different from the norm. I’ll also be serving brewed coffee, either through a V60 or Aeropress, with two coffees on the menu acting as a counterbalance to the bright and fruity Kicker. I’ll have tasting notes for all the coffees on the counter for people to peruse, and I’ll be happy to discuss my brew methods with anyone and everyone that is prepared to listen!
From the off I’ll also be serving cakes from the lovely Stacie Stewart, and her Beehive Bakery. I’ve tried her stuff and it is incredible, some of the best cupcakes I have ever had. So happy she has agreed to work with me as I think I am the first(and only?) cafe she supplies! Meeting up later in the week to sort out the first round of cakes, hopefully have something for everyone to enjoy.
Nearly there! Exciting stuff!
machinery
I have an espresso machine! Well, sort of, it’s getting shipped off to be spruced up and pimped out, fitting all sorts of sweet modifications to get the very best out of it. Need to decide what colour to powder coat it, if I get it done…
progress…
we are making it.
One step closer to bringing delicious coffee to Newcastle. And cakes, delicious cakes too.
