Portuguese coffee experience

Recently back from a trip to Portugal and of course couldn’t help but go into a few of their coffee shops. Firstly they are known as ‘Pastelarias and as the name may suggest sell some wonderful cakes as well as the coffee.

As we travelled we did try a variety of their Portuguese brands such as Delta, Sical, Buondo, Nicola. One thing we noticed was that coffee is surprisingly cheap. An espresso wouldn’t usually cost you more than €1 and in most cases is closer to €0.50.

But do be aware when you order If you ask for a coffee (um café) an espresso is what you’d be served, although there are regional variations for different coffees too. If you were in Porto and wanted an espresso you’d order um cimbalino (named after the La Cimbali espresso machines), while in Lisbon you’d order um bica.

They also have a range of coffees with milk in too – such as um pingo (an espresso with a dash of milk) or uma meia de leite (around half coffee/half milk – the closest thing to a latte).

If you want a long black coffee then order “Um abatanado” which is somewhere between an espresso and an Americano, however, it isn’t always as big a coffee as a lot of people will like. Also to note, to some people an abatanado means an espresso in a larger cup and topped up with water, while to others, an abatanado means a coffee with two shots of espresso

These are examples of what you can order similar to what you can have in the UK but remember like the UK there are a wide range of variations of the espresso based drink.

We want to share the news with you that we have changed our name – we are now called – Bourne Coffee Company.

Alongside our continuing commitment to produce the best and freshest coffee for your enjoyment we have updated our website to make ordering and keeping in touch easier.

We hope you will visit our new exciting web site at www.bournecoffeecompany.co.uk where we have a wonderful array of coffees for you including some new ones from Mexico and Ethiopia, and following our visit to Costa Rica, a great coffee from the side of Turrialba volcano. Back by popular demand are high altitude Colombian and Brasilian coffees too.

Also check out our promotional video which gives you a little insight in how we roast.

We hope to hear from you soon.

Regards

www.caerurfacoffee.co.uk

It's a Passion

We often think of our past career(s) and think now how lucky we are. We envied people who produced something an object that could be used and the workmanship appreciated like a carpenter who hand crafts a piece of furniture, an artist or sculpture, a cake or dress maker. That is what went through our minds when we decided to become coffee roasters the satisfaction that the end product is something that we have made we have produced and for someone else to enjoy – it’s a passion that we hope we share with our customers who enjoy our hand roasted artisan coffee.

www.caerurfacoffee.co.uk

Caer Urfa Coffee wishes Willie a great big HAPPY BIRTHDAY all the best to you and hope you have a fun filled fantastic day and a brilliant DINNER party.

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Remember Saturday the 29th September 2018 is the Winchester Coffee Festival 2018 tickets are on sale now! at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/winchester-coffee-festival-2018-tick…www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/winchester-coffee-festival-201

Have fun!

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I only popped in for a coffee

The roasts

There are many types of roast and as many given names depending which side of the pond you are, here are the main three.

Light roast – mellow with crisp light flavours sometimes described as doughy.

Medium roast – well rounded flavour that shows off the unique notes from the particular coffee origins – caer urfas preferred roast.

Dark roast – rich and intense with nutty and chocolate notes

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I only popped in for a coffee

Arabica

Is usually cultivated between 600m and 2000m altitude, in temperate and tropical climates, known as the coffee belt between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, it is a rich and aromatic coffee with subtle fruity notes.

Robusta

A hardier more resistant plant that grows at lower altitudes again between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, it has a more earthy flavour. As well as a standalone coffee its sometimes used with Arabica in blends to add that extra crème.

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I only popped in for a coffee.

When the fruit of the coffee plant – the coffee cherry – is ripe and ready for picking, it goes a vivid red. Each cherry contains two coffee beans, each are harvested, dried and roasted. Roasting is an essential stage that allows the aroma, colour and taste of the coffee to develop. As the beans are heated changes occur in the colour and aroma of the bean as aromatic oils are released that brings out the coffee’s flavour, the longer the roast the darker the beans and stronger the coffee. 

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Tanzania -  Mlimani Ngarashi AA    

Varietal(s): Bourbon & Kent

Processing: Fully washed and sun dried on raised beds

Description:

A fruity full bodied sweet tasting cup

This fully washed coffee was produced by various smallholder members of the Mlimani Ngarashi Cooperative, near the town of Mondul in the north of Tanzania.

After being harvested and delivered on the same day, the cherries are pulped by a single disc pulper and are then fermented anywhere from 3 to 5 days, depending on the climate. After being washed, the parchment is then dried on raised beds for 12-13 days, until optimal humidity levels are achieved.

The Mlimani Ngarashi Cooperative is a member of the Association of Kilimanjaro Specialty Coffee Growers (Kilicafe), a producer association that works throughout Tanzania to promote sustainable growing practices and improved cup quality. In part, because of their services, the Mlimani Ngarashi group has been able to invest in more stringent processing practices, which has significantly improved the quality of the coffee and has, in turn, enabled the group to begin selling their coffee on higher-priced export markets. 

www.caerurfacoffee.co.uk

Caer Urfa Coffee likes to wish all those taking part in the Great North Run the best of luck especially Anthony Arnott (who is running) and Janice Wilkinson (who will be in attendance at the Macmillan stall in South Shields).

Good luck to everyone running or walking the GNR today x look out for me at mile 9, give me a wave and a yoohoo i will be shouting back with the Macmillan Team.

😀🏃‍♀️🏃🏻‍♂️

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Following on from our posts promoting Bio-bean and Optiat, there's more.

Coffee can do so much more than just lifting you out of your Monday morning slump.

Here are 13 ways coffee can tackle your beauty bugbears and bring a shine to your home.
1. Exfoliate
Coffee can make a brilliant natural exfoliate. For soft, smooth skin, rub a little ground coffee in circular motions to your skin and then rinse.
2. Brighten your skin
Coffee can perk up your face as well as your morning by stimulating circulation and giving you that extra glow. Wash your face as usual and mix one tablespoon of ground coffee with two tablespoons of organic, plain yoghurt. Apply to your face, leave for around 15 minutes and then rinse.
3. Reduce under eye bags
Chill used coffee grounds in the fridge. Once they’re cool, rub under the eye area. Leave to settle on your face for about 15 minutes before rinsing.
4. Battle cellulite
Most cellulite treatment creams have one key common ingredient – caffeine.Make your own at home by mixing some warm, used coffee grounds with coconut oil and rubbing it onto your skin in circular motions before rinsing.
5. Get shiny hair
Apply a little extra-strong coffee to dry, clean hair to make it shinier.Rub the cold coffee into your hair and leave it on for around 20 minutes before rinsing.
6. Enhance coloured brown hair
Mix one or two teaspoons of ground coffee with a handful of conditioner.Rub the mixture into coloured brown hair and leave for about five minutes to enhance the colour.
7. Natural air freshener
If you love the smell of fresh coffee, coffee beans make a great natural odour-neutraliser and air freshener for your home or car. Fill a small open container with freshly ground coffee beans and it will absorb any strong aromas such as fast food or pet odours.
8. Clean your surfaces
Coffee grounds are great for scrubbing tough surfaces as they are mildly abrasive and slightly acidic. You can use them on their own or mix them in with a little washing-up liquid.
9. Unblock your drain
Pour used coffee grounds down the sink followed by a few drops of washing up liquid and a pot of boiling water to clear a blocked drain.
10. Fix tired furniture
If you have any dark wood furniture that has a small nick or scratch in it, try using coffee.Mix 2-3 tablespoons with a little water to make a thick paste. Using a plastic knife spread the paste over the scratch using a plastic knife. Remove any excess with a slightly damp cloth.Leave it to dry before buffing.
11. Bake brownies
Using cold, fresh coffee to replace milk in your brownie recipe will give your batch a flavourful kick.

12. Lengthen the life of cut flowers
Filling a small jar with a coffee-soil mix can help keep cut flowers living longer.
13. Feed your houseplants
Fresh or used coffee grounds are high in nitrogen so a small amount makes a great feed for houseplants.

www.caerurfacoffee.co.uk

 

Have you ever thought what to do with the dregs from your coffee machine – well entrepreneur Arthur Kay does.

With the increase in coffee shops and household coffee makers available Arthur can but the ground coffee remnants to good use, his company bio bean is able to turn the waste into bio fuel, that has the potential to be able to supple the energy needs for households and industry.

Products produced are

1.       ‘Biomass pellets’ from waste coffee grounds.

These carbon neutral, advanced biofuels are used for heating buildings, thus displacing fossil fuels.

2.     ‘Coffee Logs™’ Carbon neutral biomass briquettes from waste coffee grounds

Can fuel homes and appliances such as wood fired stoves, chimeneas and BBQs.

According to Kay, the London coffee industry alone creates over 200,000 tonnes of waste every year, so why not use that waste to good use. 

Check out - http://www.bio-bean.com

www.caerurfacoffee.co.uk

Just a quick note to let you coffee lovers out there know we at Caer Urfa Coffee will be showing off our produce at this coming Fridays 7th Septembers Farmers Market at Saxon Square, Christchurch come along and have a look.

www.caerurfacoffee.co.uk

Optiat skincare

Interestingly seen on a recent episode of Dragons Den were a brother and sister promoting their skin care company that used coffee grounds in their products? Here is an extract from their web site:

Natural, sustainable and handmade in the UK, Optiat create skincare products from quality ingredients that would otherwise be discarded. We provide ethical alternative o toxic beauty staples, such as micro beads, by using coffee grounds and other natural by products otherwise sent to landfill.

Welcome to Optiat, the nature-friendly skincare company. We take quality ingredients that would otherwise be discarded and transform them into natural, sustainable skincare products. Our products are hand-made in the UK and vegan-friendly, using only plant-based ingredients. We believe in respecting nature around us and will never, ever test on animals.

Check out - https://optiat.com/

www.caerurfacoffee.co.uk

What to do with your coffee dregs – well we at Caer Urfa Coffee put it to good use, we use the chaff the papery layer that comes off the bean at roasting on our garden, acting much like chippings. As for the coffee grounds produced after making a cup of coffee again we mix that with our compost and put that on the garden.  

It will help microorganisms beneficial to plant and vegetable growth thrive as well as attract earthworms. It’s said that coffee grounds lower the pH (or raise the acid level) of soil, which is good for acid loving plants.

Watch out for the next post where we have looked at a couple of companies that use the coffee grounds to good use.

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Caer Urfa Coffee recent visit to West Bay beautiful place to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee.

We are now trading in the monthly farmers market in the square at Wimborne Minster, a town that takes its name for the church at its heart called the Minster Church of St. Cuthburga. As we are learning about our new location we thought we would share some of our research with you.

Wimborne Minster is a town well worth a visit. For hundreds of years the Minster has been a centre for pilgrimage, prayer and worship. It contains some wonderful treasures and artifacts within an ancient building. It is located in the middle of the town centre with its two towers visible as you enter the Wimborne. The present building dates from c.1120 with many additions spanning the centuries

The foundation goes back to c.705AD when Cuthburga, sister to Ina, King of the West Saxons, founded a nunnery on the site.500 nuns are reputed to have lived at Wimborne, many of whom followed St. Boniface to the then pagan Germany, as missionaries. The Nunnery was destroyed by the Danes in 1013 but an old Saxon Chest still remains in the Minster today.

Education has always been a priority. Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry V11 founded a school at Wimborne Minster in 1497 and her parents tomb is in the church.

A Chained Library was established in 1695 although the first books were donated in 1686. The Chained Library, one of only four in the country, is open to the public from Easter to the end of October most weekdays.

www.caerurfacoffee.co.uk

www.caerurfacoffee.co.uk

Coffee Mills

After posting a recent review of grinders for the home, one of our followers mentioned to us the handheld ‘grinding mills’ are also available. So here we look at the different styles that are available.

Seen as a traditional method of grinding your coffee beans, it does require a little manual effort. Whatever style they come in, they all use the principle of manually turning a handle which turns the inner workings, usually burrs, to grind your coffee beans.

Ebay and Amazon offer cheaper versions with prices ranging from £6 to £70. We have one for the home which we bought from a second hand shop for £3. Basically it depends on your preferred style that matches your requirements and kitchen and budget. The three main styles are:

·         Wooden manufacture

·         Glass style

·         Stainless steel style

Hario small mm-2 ceramic burr hand mill (available from Amazon from £22)

Crafted out of wood, with shaft and handle made of metal, it has a tidy 28g capacity drawer which has magnets that hold the drawer unopened and in place.

Ideal for V60 dripper or coffee press this manual grinder allows you to select the coarseness of the coffee grounds by simply adjusting the ceramic burrs. While the lid on top ensures that all beans are protected from scattering all over the place while grinding.

The Small Hario hand grinder has a sturdy design which ensures that it will last and serve you for many years to come.

Trixes coffee bean hand grinder (available from Amazon from £11)

This one is combines a nice wooden look with stainless steel parts for the actual grinding process. Like other examples it also uses a small pull out drawer to catch the grinds. It can also be used to grind spices and herbs.

Measuring 16.8 x 10.8 x 10.6 cms this quality appliance should take about 2 minutes to grind enough beans to make 2 cups of coffee.

YooNeo Portable hand crank ceramic burr coffee mill (available from Amazon from £10)

Again ceramic burrs, this one is adjustable so you can grind from coarse to fine. With a quality stainless steel finish, its slim and lightweight, measuring 23.4 x 6.4 x 6.4 cms, it can grind enough coffee for up to 3 people at any one time.

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The De'Longhi KG79 £58

One of the cheapest grinders on the market is also one of the most consistent. The machine is easy to operate and even easier to clean with the upper wheel of its grinder core simple to remove. The transparent bean container holds up to 120g enough for 12 cups, with the grinder shutting off automatically once your dosage is reached. You can also choose your desired setting from fine, medium or coarse.

·         110 watts.

·         Stainless steel grinding blade.

·         12 grinding settings.

·         Bean container capacity 120g.

·         Transparent lid.

·         Removable container.

·         Size H26, W16, D13cm.

·         EAN: 8004399324541.