Cafédirect Coffee Roasters
Cafédirect are the well seasoned sustainable coffee roasters based in London.
Their London Fields roastery sits among a vibrant scene of local artisan breweries, bakeries and cafes, a stone’s throw away from the famous Broadway Market.
The team of three Q graders work at the Cafedirect Roastery and tirelessly cup all of the small batch roasted coffee. It’s pretty unique to have one Q grader working at a roastery let alone three.
To become one of the most elite coffee tasters in the world (there are only 5000 worldwide) you must complete a grueling course followed by 19 exams with an extremely low pass rate. Q graders are then certified to grade and score coffees on a variety of characteristics.
To tell the story of Cafedirect we have to rewind to 1989 when there was an international coffee crisis and the base level for commodity coffee was cut in half after the collapse of the ICA (International Coffee Agreement). This had a huge effect on coffee farmers as the base price was still pretty low.
In 1991 Cafedirect came about as the innovative result of four pioneering organisations as well as three forward thinking coffee grower cooperatives all with the desire for change when it came to the conventional coffee market and to find a more personal, direct route.
The three coops in Peru, Costa Rica and Mexico sent a container of coffee to the UK on a trust basis. It was then sold through community groups and churches and the profits were then sent back to the growers.
This has been the foundation from which Cafedirect has flourished into the sustainable and people-focused coffee roaster they are today.
They were the first Bcorp coffee company in the UK, this means they meet the highest environmental and sustainable standards and are only accredited to a small number of businesses. To become Bcorp a business must pass a rigorous assessment and score over 80, Cafedirect scored a whopping 97.
50% of Cafedirect’s profits are invested into ‘Producers Direct’, this is a UK charity that works directly with farmers to improve sustainability and livelihoods, right across the coffee-growing world. The charity is run by farmers, for farmers, taking leadership and developing innovative solutions to the challenges they face.
Meet The Roaster
We spoke to Sam at Cafédirect about what's next at the roastery
How did you become a coffee roaster/start working for Cafédirect?
By complete chance, I got into coffee. I was unexpectedly put in a position where I needed a job and happened to stumble upon becoming a barista.
Straight away the experience of working with coffee and doing my training in a roastery led me to see coffee roasting as my lifelong career and passion.
Sam - Coffee Roaster and Coffee Quality Controller.
Cafédirect gave me my first experience within a roastery, and it has been an incredible journey as both myself and the company have grown over the years.
What sets Cafédirect apart?
I believe what sets Cafédirect apart is the pioneering way of doing business that goes above and beyond to support smallholder growers, improve livelihoods and communities, and invest money back into charities that share the same ethos and drive for positive change.
We are proud to be the UK’s first and largest 100% Fairtrade hot drinks brand and B Corp certified company all the while delivering amazing coffee around the world from every corner of the globe.
In general, what does the process of sourcing coffee look like for Cafédirect? How close to the coffee growers do you work to achieve your desired flavour profiles?
We source most of our coffee from Peru where we have a vast network of producers that we have strong and direct relationships that go back decades.
We work extremely closely with them through our affiliated charity Producers Direct who have several centres of excellence where training and support are given to farmers to improve their farming practices and overall quality of coffee.
What does the future have in store for Cafédirect? Any exciting new origins on the horizon?
Cafédirect had a fantastic year last year under extremely difficult circumstances and this year is shaping up to be even better with our 30th Anniversary to celebrate.
We have several new and improved products from fascinating and diverse origins such as Mayan Gold from Mexico and Colombia Reserva coffee beans as well as a rebranding on our refined and revamped blends range.
Also, look out for our Rare micro-lot and anniversary blend coming out of our London Fields Range, some of the highest quality micro-lots we have ever roasted, including a sensational Mexican Geisha.
Do you have a favourite coffee roaster other than you guys in the UK?
Square Mile Coffee Roasters is a roastery that sets a high standard within the coffee industry when it comes to quality and consistency. And these high standards are something we aim to match especially when we source similar coffees from the same region.
Latest Batch Coffee Reviews
The Origin
The Honduran coffee from Cafedirect originates from La Pez in southern Honduras. Here the rich volcanic soil is perfect for growing speciality coffee.
This particular coffee is produced by the Comsa cooperative who have a moral commitment to social and environmental sustainability with responsible organic practices and expert tree management that allows humans, nature and coffee to all flourish harmoniously.
The farms here are extremely diverse and coffee is grown amongst other plant species and trees. Although this method has a lower yield of coffee, it encourages biodiversity and helps rebuild valuable nutrients in the soils allowing for increased amounts of water and organic properties to be readily available to the coffee plants growth, intensifying the development of body, flavours and aromas, all of which results in a distinct and improved quality of coffee.
As a relative latecomer to the coffee industry, Honduras has become the largest producer of coffee in Central America and now produces some of the highest quality coffee in the Americas. The location and terroir are perfect for growing coffee which is the country's second-biggest export.
Over 100,000 families are involved in the production of coffee and with the investment in infrastructure and education into processing techniques from the government and organisations such as Cafedirect the coffee industry is booming. However, the infamous leaf rust hit Honduras fairly hard in 2012 with many crops badly damaged, while the large amounts of rainfall is also quite a big problem when drying the coffee.
The Review
The Honduran coffee from Cafedirect oozes inviting rich flavours as soon as you open the bag. It’s a medium roast coffee that is on the darker side, which complements the smooth taste profile.
As the coffee is brewing, aromas of nutmeg and cinnamon remind me of the winter months. There is also a hint of something both sweet and sour, it made me think of sugary sweets (Haribo tangfastics or those flat strawberry laces covered in sugar).
The first taste is sweet and bold. Certainly balanced and no huge flavours battling for attention.
It has a fairly medium to full body with undertones of cacao. Notes of almonds carry through into a deliciously sweet aftertaste.
As the coffee cools the sweetness takes control and the almonds evolve into a subtle praline flavour.
This was a super enjoyable coffee, especially for folks that enjoy fuller flavours and a sweet, smooth profile.
Brewed here as always with various methods. It tasted best for me as an espresso or stovetop, the inclusion of oils highlighted the rich cacao notes and unified the coffee nicely.
