When speaking to Ole from St Martins it always feels as though something special is happening in the Midlands.

With a recent rebrand, they are looking at breaking into the top flight of speciality coffee roasters in the UK.

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Their journey was perfectly described using the analogy of a certain local football club that have recently started challenging the big clubs of the UK. 

There is no reason why these guys can’t challenge the more well-known roasters, their passion and knowledge alongside a really personable culture are some of the key ingredients to creating a world-beating coffee roastery.

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When I asked Ole about what sets St Martins apart from others:

We pride ourselves on trying to be the least speciality, speciality roastery.

What we mean by that, is we don’t want anyone to feel alienated or intimidated by our ground coffee or specialty coffee in general, something I think the industry is often guilty of.

There was a backlash to McDonald’s advert a while back, that essentially took the mic out of our industry and our over complicatedness which can be perceived as snobbery.

Though some were annoyed by this, we should ask ourselves the question, is that something that the customer genuinely feels when they try out a specialty cafe/roastery for the first time?

If so, we have some changes to make if we really want to become the general public’s first point of call when they think of buying coffee.

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BOX 101

06•03•24

The Origin

The Chameleon coffee from St Martins Coffee roasters originates from the Cauca region of Colombia.

Munchique los Tigres reserve is located in the central mountain range of Cauca.

Situated at a range of 1500 to 1900masl, this coffee is produced by the Cencoic co-operative, an organisation our importer D R Wakefield have worked with since 2008.

After years of armed conflict in the region, recent times have given way to a more stable and peaceful time allowing Cencoic to flourish. Many of the members are ex combatants too.

This coffee is a beautiful example of the high quality lots Colombia is famed for producing, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

What To Expect

Here’s an idea of what to expect from this flavoursome Colombian coffee from St Martins coffee roasters.

Team Batch brew method of choice - Moka Pot.

If you loved this coffee and want it to have it in your life again order directly from St Martins Coffee Roasters now.

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BOX 58

13•07•22

The Origin

The Ratnagiri coffee from St Martins Coffee roasters originates from the Bababudangiri region of India.

Although Indian coffee is world renowned, its presence in the world of specialty coffee is often negative. The Ratnagiri estate is focused on 100% specialty coffee looking to elevate the reputation of Indian coffee.

The Hindi word 'Ratnagiri' translates literally to 'Pearl Mountain', a reference to the dense silver oak canopy which crowns this farm.

Ratnagiri was established in 1920 and is owned and operated by Ashok Patre, having been passed down from Grandfather, to father to son.

This honey processed, single variety (Catuai) microlot is dried on raised beds for 16 to 20 days.

Olam (coffee importers) have partnered with Ratnagiri Estate for 4 straight seasons and there are no prizes for guessing why: this farm is consistently producing the best Indian coffees on the cupping table, season after season.

Ashok Patre is a progressive, well-travelled and bursting with initiative, he has drawn inspiration from elsewhere to step beyond the boundaries of traditional Indian coffee cultivation and processing.

Brix levels are tested before harvesting. Processing includes natural, honey and fermentation experiments alongside the traditional washed.

For all intents and purposes Ratnagiri Estate is an organic/biodynamic farm and also maintains official Rainforest Alliance Certification.

Quarterly soil tests and organic corrections to soil are applied.

Ionic seawater and sea weed extract are applied to improve plant immunity and sugar levels of the fruit.

The estate is a lush shaded environment with 3 stories of shade.

It is home to over 48 recorded bird populations, monkeys, leopards, wild boar, tigers, mongoose and - on occasion - elephants.

The rich biodiversity demands that Ashok and his family have an approach to farming which places ecology and harmony with the environment at the forefront.

This is a world class farm, truly one of the leading in India and a great example of Olam and the farmer working together to engineer excellence.

What To Expect

Here’s an idea of what to expect from this pioneering Indian coffee from St Martins coffee roasters.

Team Batch brew method of choice - Pour Over.

If you loved this coffee and want it to have it in your life again order directly from St Martins Coffee Roasters now.

07•09•21

The Women’s Washed from St Martins originates from the Sidamo region of Ethiopia. 

It is a coffee imported by one of their green partners, Kamba Coffee. 2020 was the first year that Kamba imported this particular coffee, a product of a project at the Bulessa Washing station, located in Southern Ethiopia.

Tizita Bizuneh runs the Bulessa Washing Station in Sidamo, an area famous for the quality of its coffee. 

The Bulessa Washing Station is managed by a team of 12 full time female workers.

The coffee itself is grown between 1,600 – 1,800 masl and is farmed by 400 majority female smallholder farmers in the local area. 

Tizita started this project with the aim of empowering women working in coffee from production to management of the station, something that has already become a reality at Bulessa. 

As the project has evolved, the scheme has developed and started providing educational and agricultural workshops for children and women across the community, alongside educational support, private healthcare, coffee and quality workshops. 

Before Kamba started supporting this project directly, the coffee processed at the Bulessa Washing station was being exported as a Washed Grade 2 Sidamo and losing its vital story along the way. 

This also meant a lower sale price for the farmers that contributed to this coffee. In 2020, Kamba imported 160 bags to support the initiative, their largest purchase in Ethiopia from the 2020 harvest. 

Now the 2021 harvest is complete, they have confirmed that they are set to import even more this year and have pledged to continue supporting the project and Tizita for years to come. 

St Martin’s have committed to this coffee, adding it to the core coffees within their range.

Here’s an idea of what to expect from this delicious washed Sidamo coffee from St Martins coffee roasters.

Team Batch brew method of choice - Aeropress.

If you loved this coffee and want it to have it in your life again order directly from St Martins Coffee Roasters now.