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Great coffee is all about bringing together the right flavours. And sometimes, the best way to create something truly special is to look beyond a single origin.
For this year's Winter Blend, we've brought together three distinctive coffees from Brazil, Kenya and El Salvador. Each has its own character, shaped by the land it grows on, the people who nurture it and the way it's processed.
Together, they create something greater than the sum of their parts: a beautifully balanced coffee with notes of dark chocolate, orange and a hint of berries. But what makes each origin special, and how do they come together to create the blend we know and love?
Let's take a closer look.
Why We Blend Coffee
Every coffee-growing region has something different to offer. From the climate and altitude to the soil and processing methods, a whole range of factors influence the flavour of the coffee in your cup.
Blending is about understanding these differences and bringing them together with purpose. Rather than relying on one coffee to deliver everything, we select individual origins for the qualities they bring. One might offer a rich body, another natural sweetness, while a third brings brightness and complexity.
The challenge is finding the right balance. Each coffee needs to complement the others, allowing its own character to shine while contributing to a harmonious final cup.
It's this combination of individual characteristics that makes blending so special. By bringing together coffees with different flavour profiles, we can create something with greater depth, complexity and balance.
Curious about the difference between single origin coffee and blends? [Read more here] to discover what sets them apart and why blending can create such a distinctive cup.
Brazil: The Foundation of Our Winter Blend
Fazenda Pinhal & Mirante | Depth and Body
Our journey begins in Brazil, where a naturally processed coffee from Fazenda Pinhal & Mirante provides the foundation for the Winter Blend.
Natural processing is one of the oldest methods of preparing coffee. The cherries are dried with the fruit still surrounding the bean, allowing the sugars and flavours from the fruit to influence the final cup. This helps develop a fuller body and smooth fruit character, bringing depth to our blend.
The growing environment also plays an important role. The combination of climate, altitude, soil and surrounding ecosystem, known as terroir, all contribute to the distinctive character of this coffee.
There's also a lovely story behind the people who grow it. The Gabarra family have been farming this land for six generations, with a deep-rooted commitment to protecting the environment around them. Alongside their coffee farms, they run a bird sanctuary, helping to protect and release native species.
It's this connection between people, place and coffee that makes Brazil such an important part of our Winter Blend.
Kenya: Brightness and Lift
Kiambu | A Lively, Expressive Character
Next, we travel to the high-altitude slopes of Kiambu, just north of Nairobi in Kenya.
Growing conditions here are quite different. Cooler temperatures, rich soils and the surrounding mountain landscape all contribute to the distinctive character of Kenyan coffee.
Fully washed to bring out clarity in the cup, this coffee adds a lively brightness to our blend. Washed processing involves removing the fruit from the coffee cherry before the beans are dried. This allows the natural characteristics of the coffee to shine through, often resulting in a cleaner, brighter flavour profile.
Want to know more about washed coffee and how the process influences flavour? [Read more here]
Here, that means expressive notes of blackcurrant and maple syrup, alongside a bright acidity that lifts the richer flavours of the Brazilian coffee.
It's this contrast that makes blending so interesting. Where Brazil provides depth and body, Kenya brings freshness and complexity, ensuring the finished coffee remains beautifully balanced.
El Salvador: Sweetness and Balance
Finca La Esperanza | A Naturally Sweet Character
Our final origin takes us to El Salvador, where coffee grows in the fertile volcanic soils on the border of El Boquerón National Park.
The unique terroir of this region helps create a coffee with natural sweetness and a rounded character. At Finca La Esperanza, a combination of washed and natural processing methods brings together the qualities of both approaches, enhancing the coffee's clarity while developing its sweetness.
In the blend, this coffee plays an important role in bringing everything together. Its honeyed tones soften the brighter notes from Kenya and complement the depth of Brazil, adding another layer of flavour without overpowering the other origins.
Three Origins, One Beautifully Balanced Blend
So, what happens when you bring these three coffees together?
Brazil provides the foundation, with its smooth fruit character and full body. Kenya introduces brightness and lively fruit notes, while El Salvador brings natural sweetness and balance.
Each origin has its own part to play, and it's the relationship between them that creates the finished flavour.
The result is our Winter Blend: a rich, beautifully balanced coffee with notes of dark chocolate, orange and a hint of berries. There's depth and sweetness, complemented by a gentle brightness that keeps every sip interesting.
It's a blend that celebrates the individuality of each coffee while showing what can happen when they're brought together.
How to Enjoy Our Winter Blend
One of the things we love about a well-crafted blend is its versatility.
Enjoy it with milk, where the rich chocolate notes come through beautifully, or try it as an espresso to experience the different origins and their individual characteristics more clearly.
However you enjoy yours, every cup is an opportunity to discover a little more about the coffees, the growers and the places behind the blend.
Three origins, three different stories, all coming together in one cup.
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