Are you a Kentish man or a man of Kent? Either way, you’re bound to love our Kentish Roast Coffee, one of our most popular House Coffees. It is a medium-roasted Coffee with a full, rounded flavour and great aroma. Many Coffee Connoisseurs describe its notes as being reminiscent of caramel and nuts combined.
Now, it’s your turn to determine whether our Kentish Roast Coffee is the one for you. All of our Coffees, including our Kentish Roast Coffee, are roasted using the latest state-of-the-art Neuhaus Neotec fluidised air-bed system, which primarily uses convection heat transfer to roast the beans.
Once roasted, all of our Coffees, as well as our Teas and Tisanes, are packed fresh to order here in our Pluckley-based factory, nestled away within the enchanting vistas of the Kentish countryside. This Coffee is named in honour of our home, in honour of its beauty, and in honour of its importance regarding our heritage. Kentish Roast Coffee shares these values, as well as offering great taste with every sip.
Kentish Roast Coffee is a blend of Brazilian, Ethiopian and many Asian Coffees. When it comes to the beans from Ethiopia, it’s worth noting that of all the Coffee-growing countries in the world, Ethiopia has the most experience. Coffee was discovered in present-day Ethiopia some 1,000 years ago. However, before it became a global phenomenon, Coffee had a humble, somewhat amusing beginning, one not involving an Ancient Chinese Emperor like the discovery of Tea, but that of an Ethiopian goat.
According to legend, an Abyssinian goat herder named Kaldi, who lived in present-day Ethiopia around 850 CE, witnessed his goats grazing on an unknown plant one day, their energy levels clearly boosted as they pranced excitedly around their pasture. Intrigued, Kaldi decided to try the berries on the plant for himself, and soon felt the same sense of elation. Without knowing it at the time, Kaldi, along with his goats, had just discovered Coffee. Centuries later and Ethiopia continues to play a vital role in the world of Coffee.
Another country playing a tremendous role in the worldwide Coffee Industry, arguably more so than Ethiopia today, is Brazil. It is a country known for being the world’s largest producer and exporter of Coffee, ultimately accounting for a third of the world’s Coffee. Brazil has an average elevation for Coffee production of 1,100 metres. Harvesting takes place from May to September, and by the end of the season, creates, on average, 50 to 60 million bags for exportation. In 2016, Brazil produced a staggering 2,595,000 metric tons of Coffee.
Asia, meanwhile, is often misrepresented as a continent producing lower-grade Coffee. While this is the case with many Asian Coffees, it is certainly not with all of them. With our Kentish Roast Coffee, for example, every Coffee blended, regardless of its origins, are of the highest quality. So, why the bad name? Unfortunately, Vietnam, in recent years, bears much of the responsibility. Vietnam is one of the biggest producers of Coffee in the world.
In just 30 years, Vietnam’s Coffee market share has jumped from 0.1% to 20%, while in the 1990’s alone, Coffee production grew by 20%-30% every year. Today, a quarter of Coffee drunk in the UK comes from Vietnam, but this is often instant coffee of a cheaper quality, and for that reason, The Kent and Sussex Tea and Coffee Company, as of present, do not cater to Vietnamese Coffees. We deal only with quality, after all.
But, of course, there are many other countries in Asia, most of which are producing some truly delicious Coffees, particularly Indonesia. The island of Java is Indonesia’s largest Coffee producer. It is famous for its Arabica Coffee Beans, which are stored for two to three years to allow them to develop a fuller, richer taste. Other Indonesian Coffee-growing regions include Sulawesi, Flores, East Timor, Bali and Sumatra.
The question now begs: what does your morning cup say about you? With our Kentish Roast Coffee, it suggests one is worldly in their view of Coffee. It evokes images of distant lands and faraway paradises. Every sip of this Coffee brings to light its origins, and one should be proud of that fact.
Origin: Brazil, Ethiopia (Arabica) and Asia (Robusta).