In our busy, modern lives, we often rush through many of the little things which should be bringing us those small moments of pleasure and satisfaction. A little moment that brings a warm smile, a feeling of recognition and familiarity; or perhaps something completely new that creates a novel and surprisingly unexpected and enjoyable experience. Coffee is one of these moments. Most of us have a coffee at least once a day. Yet, for many, this is either fuel for the day ahead, or simply a prop that gives us permission to sit down for a moment with friends and have a chat. But to choose the right coffee for a cosy cup is not always an easy thing to achieve.
We’ve been involved with coffee since opening the current Chocolate Fayre shop, way back in 2019, when we launched our Hill Sixty brand of speciality coffee beans and loose leaf teas. However it wasn’t until we opened the Coffee Lounge two years ago, that I came to fully realise just how personal coffee is to each individual person. Everyone has a different idea of what the ideal cup of coffee should be. For some, it’s down to convenience and speed. For others, the perfect coffee is made up a very specific set of requirements, discovered, presumably, through many attempts of trial and error either at home or in various coffee establishments over time. For the team behind the counter here, it’s about trying to interpret what each person’s individual requirements and requests are, and provide exactly what they would like in order to have a relaxed and enjoyable moment in the company of their perfect drink.
For those of you who have visited the Chocolate Fayre Coffee Lounge, you’ll maybe be aware of the way we do coffee. Of course we offer various different coffee build styles, familiar to most coffee drinkers, from frothy cappuccinos to short, strong cortados. However we also personalise things further, offering a choice of four coffee beans, from our medium Signature House Roast blend, through a darker roast from Guatemala, a lighter roast from Rwanda, or a freshly ground to order decaffeinated bean (no sachets of pre-ground beans for our customers!), giving a different drinking experience for everyone’s tastes.
Growing, harvesting, processing, roasting and brewing great coffee is not a simple task, and involves many, many people with a variety of different knowledge and skills. As such, it can seem like an overly-complicated thing when all you want is just a coffee! In most coffee establishments, it comes down to which combination of coffee, hot water and steamed or frothed milk (or no milk!) you prefer. So here’s a simplified guide to coffee (and chocolate) build styles we offer when you visit:
To add to your experience, we’ve been steadily curating a range of different speciality Arabica coffee beans, to enjoy brewed at home. Currently there are 13 different beans available, including the four we currently use to brew make your coffees in the Coffee Lounge. We have steadily built a following of regular customers, who repeatedly return both in-person and online, for a top up of their favourite beans, either as whole beans, or ground to order to match their home brewing method. So what are these beans and which ones might you enjoy? Here’s a quick guide (in oder of darkest to lightest roast)…
Columbian High Roast – Intensely roasted, single origin bean, to give a deep rounded flavour, with a smokey soft finish.
Brazil Dark Roast – Rich, sweet, and nutty, with notes of chocolate, toffee, and walnut, this one is for the more traditional coffee drinker.
Guatemalan Coban – A single origin bean from Guatemala, this coffee’s dark chocolate flavours shine through the luxuriously rich hazelnut top notes with hints of dark fruits. Strong, full bodied, ideal for someone who really loves a big coffee flavour.
Daybreak Blend – A blend of Arabica coffee beans from Guatemala and Peru. It has a smooth, full bodied taste. Great as a morning coffee, with rich dark chocolate and treacle flavour notes.
Honduras Single Origin – A truly special smooth, lively coffee with smokey flavours of chocolate, vanilla & red fruits. A lighter coffee that works brilliantly for filter and cafetière brewing, allowing the longer brewing time to fully extract the more fragrant flavours.
Signature House Roast – Our most popular bean. It’s the roast we use to make the majority of coffees for customers at Chocolate Fayre. A blend of Arabica beans from South & Central America and Asia, with full, deep body and smooth subtle acidity with chocolate and nutty notes, it works superbly well for any brewing method.
El Salvador Cuzcachapa – A smooth coffee which begins with light chocolate notes, leading to sharper fruity plum flavours, and then into hazelnut flavours for a smooth taste.
Granary Blend – A medium roast, with well balanced flavours. There’s a chocolatey base from Brazil, nuttiness and sweetness from El Salvador, and a bold Ugandan that ties it all together.
Zambian Single Origin – A lightly roasted coffee, but don’t let that dismiss it. It does not lack in lovely flavours, with sweet acidity, chocolate, plum & almond notes.
Mexican Single Origin – A lightly roasted coffee with a rich velvet body, natural bright acidity and fresh citrusy flavours flowing through.
Rwandan Single Origin – A truly special, lighter, clean tasting, vibrant coffee with flavours of red berries, caramel, chocolate & honey.
African Mountain Blend – A lightly roasted African Mountain Blend with beans from the mountains of Uganda & Rwanda, with well balanced flavours of orange zest, peach and honey from the Rwandan beans, and the unique and unusual funk of the Ugandan finish.
Water Filtered Decaf – Fruit and nut chocolate, with a medium body and soft acidity. A chemical-free decaffeination process removing caffeine for coffee roasters, yet preserving the key flavour elements of the beans to ensure a full flavour profile.
I hope this helps you get the most pleasure and contentment from your coffee. But if this has filled your mind with far too much information, simply go with a Signature House Roast Americano (with or without milk), and take a moment!
