Did you know all of our whole bean and ground coffee is roasted here in the U.K.?
We’re really proud of it, and just like our tea, we’re obsessed with flavour and freshness to give you the best possible cup of coffee.
The world of coffee can be complex and a little confusing. There’s lots of fancy words and tasting notes used when it comes to talking about coffee, especially when considering which blend to choose and understanding what goes into making various blends. So, we’ve broken it down into small facts that are interesting to know about our coffee, and the process surrounding it.
Fresh from Harvest
We source and buy the finest green coffee beans from some of the best regions in the world. Buying fresh from harvest means keeping our eyes closely on the growing seasons, working directly with cooperatives and farms to make sure we’re buying what’s best, at the right times. It’s about building long lasting relationships and working together with teams across the globe.
Once we’ve secured the green coffee, it’s then shipped to the Port of Tyne, just 6 miles from our roastery in Newcastle upon Tyne, before we blend, roast and pack it. This process is swift, retaining the freshness and integrity of the coffee.
Arabica vs Robusta
Did you know that coffee is actually a fruit? The green coffee bean comes from the centre of a cherry that’s grown on a tree. When ripe, the cherries are picked, washed and processed. So where does Arabica and Robusta come into it? Well, it’s down to the type of tree that the cherry grows on.
Think of it a bit like an apple tree. You don’t just have one type of apple tree – there’s lots. There’s different species and then within that even more sub-varieties. For coffee, the main type of trees are the Arabica and Robusta – both with their unique qualities that affect how they're grown, harvested and what they taste like. We could go into lots of coffee talk about the differences in the caffeine to oil content between the varieties, but ultimately one of the things you’ll notice is the taste.
Robusta is often more earthy and indeed robust in flavour. That’s because it’s a smaller bean, and therefore there's less oil content, so when roasted and made into coffee, there’s less flavour compounds to release. Arabica on the other hand is larger, and can taste sweeter, zesty or fruity (depending where it’s grown and how it’s roasted) – that’s because whilst holding less caffeine than Robusta, it holds more natural sugars and oils.
So, Arabica or Robusta? Both have their place. We use a touch of Robusta in our Dark Roast Ground Coffee to give it a kick. Whilst our Speciality Bean is 100% specialty coffee resulting in a smooth coffee that’s got chocolaty notes to it – perfect for a flat white!
What’s specialty coffee?
Essentially, it means it’s really good coffee. Q graders (like Sadie) are skilled in the art of tasting and rating coffee. After using the ‘cupping method’ to taste the coffee (more on this in a moment) they’ll give the beans a score of up to 100, and anything above 80 is considered specialty. When you’re buying specialty, it means you’re enjoying coffee that has great qualities, great flavour and aroma.
Cupping Coffee…
This is fancy coffee lingo for the process used to grade coffee. It’s how Q graders can assess the quality of a coffee before they go ahead and buy it. They’ll be looking for and asses things like:
- Aroma – is it delicate or strong, does it smell sweet or bitter?
- Tasting notes – are we talking chocolaty, nutty or zesty?
- Acidity, body and balance – how does it feel in the mouth, is it clean or claggy?
What’s your flavour?
Ringtons Speciality Beans are unique blend using beans from across the world. It’s is a real crowd pleaser with tasting notes of milk chocolate, it's smooth and intense. Grind at home for the ultimate freshness.
Ringtons Decaf Ground Coffee is made from dark & smooth roasted Arabica coffee beans. It’s been carefully decaffeinated and packed into foil bags for freshness. A great choice for the evening.
Ringtons Dark Roast Ground Coffee is rich blend of South American and Indonesian Arabica beans, plus high-quality African Robusta beans for briskness. A good, traditional wake up coffee!
Ringtons Classic Blend Ground Coffee is a traditional blend of Central American, South American and East African Arabica beans, plus high-quality African Robusta beans. It’s a well-balanced coffee for anytime for the day.
Our Coffee Philosophy
Its journey is complex and touches the lives of so many people, from the tired mum drinking her instant coffee at 5am to the small holder farmers handpicking their coffee cherries in the rolling hills of Rwanda. It connects people from all across the globe, and like our tea, it matters.