The Roast

From raw to roast
The raw harvested coffee bean still has a long way to go. The cherry-like bean is hand harvested and must be processed quickly so it does not begin to ferment. Two basic methods are employed to separate the bean from the pulp or flesh of the fruit. Using the ‘dry’ method, the beans are laid out in the baking sun to dry naturally and are continually turned. With the ‘wet’ method, the beans are crushed in a pulping machine to remove the flesh. The remaining shell is washed and rid of its yellowish protective sleeve by hulling. The bean is now greenish-blue. Next the beans are gathered and sorted according to colour, weight and size and either packed into 60kg sacks or packed as bulk material into vast containers ready for shipping. Every consignment that arrives at our warehouses is subjected to thorough testing by our raw coffee suppliers. Many samples are taken and tested rigorously by experts. They’re judged on smell, appearance and humidity. Meanwhile coffee samples are sent to external laboratories for independent analysis. The raw coffee is roasted and tested by professional tasters. It must be lukewarm so the appearance, acidity, body and aroma can be properly evaluated. Up to 1,000 cups are taste tested in order to arrive at the perfect balance or blend. This is the genius of the blender and the exact details of the blend are kept under lock and key. You could say that they are our very own state secrets.

The secrets of the roast
The secret of excellent coffee is in the roasting process. The extremely high temperatures involved can release as many as 1,000 flavours, which bring the bean to life. Experienced roasters are highly sought after and can coax the best out of each bean. They judge how the beans should be roasted, and for how long, in order to bring out particular characteristics. So we can fully control the process we do our own roasting in ultra-modern plants. Temperature and timing are controlled automatically so roasting is fast, efficient and evenly done. During roasting the bean not only changes colour from bluish-green to brown but its size and weight also change. A complex chemical process means that the original cell structure of the bean is altered. The result, new sugars and proteins that all add subtle and nuanced complexity. Meanwhile, oil is extracted from the porous cells and rises to the surface, this not only gives the bean its characteristic gloss but also influences the distinctive flavour of the coffee.