KENDAL, UK – John Farrer & Co Kendal, a leading producer, roaster, supplier and distributor of coffee and tea for over 200 years, is proud to mark its rich heritage with their new John Farrer Signature collection. The Signature collection will complement the company’s diverse line of coffees, focussing specifically on small batch seasonal single origin offerings from across the globe.
This is a project born out of passion and a love of the very best coffee: Santa Maria Honey
Farrer’s dedicated team of roasters with over 60 years’ experience between them have painstakingly hand picked and selected premium single origin coffees from some of the most sought-after coffee crops produced by small single estate plantations.
The second in the new collection is a coffee from the Central American country of Nicaragua, Santa Maria Honey. This is part of a new wave of Central American coffees, characterised by subtle acidity with clean crisp flavour profile delivering sweet chocolate, citrus and red fruit flavour notes delivering perfect balance in each cup of coffee.
Santa Maria is one of seven estates that reach across Jinotega and Matagalpa, owned by Victor Robelo, as part of the Las Nubes group. Jinotega is the second largest department in the Central American country of Nicaragua, located in the north, bordering neighbouring Honduras, with Matagalpa bordering Jinotega to the south.
Originally bought in the late 90’s after the cessation of hostilities between the Contras and Sandinistas involved in Nicaragua’s civil war, the farms were subsequently planted with Victor’s fathers’ favourite coffee varietals, Yellow Catuai and Caturra.
The estate controls the entire process from start to finish ensuring that they are able to craft the highest quality parcels of coffee. After harvesting the coffee is subsequently processed using the farms’ own wet mill, before being taken as either wet parchment (if the coffee is to be washed) or in cherry form (if the coffee is to be left as natural coffee) to the drying mill at Matagalpa for further processing.
The Honey process is currently popular in the majority of Central and Southern American countries, but contrary to popular belief honey isn’t used in the processing of the coffee or in the resulting coffee flavour profile.
The process gets its name from the sticky, honey-like feel the bean has before it is dried
Essentially once a coffee bean is separated from the cherry, it is left covered in a mucilage layer, this thick, gluey substance is produced by nearly all plants and plays a role in storing water, sugars, lipids, and proteins, which are then released when the seed is germinated.
During the Honey Process, the skin and pulp surrounding the beans are removed, but some or all of the mucilage (Honey) remains. After which the beans sorted and moved to drying beds for various periods of time and allowed to naturally ferment and oxidise. It is this process that is referred to as the Honey Process. As the coffee beans are drying, the mucilage begins to oxidize and darken in colour.
The Farrer’s roasters roast small batches of Santa Maria Honey every Wednesday to ensure that the freshest and best conditioned coffee reaches their customers
Starting at £10.45 per 250g bag Santa Maria Honey is available as a whole bean or pre-ground, packed in a resealable bag, recyclable box with a detailed information card.
Dave Walsh, Farrer’s General Manager commented: “John Farrer & Co, Kendal, team of roasters have used all their years of experience to bring the best out of Santa Maria Honey, the latest addition to the John Farrer Signature Collection. They have carefully crafted a delicious coffee that delivers subtle acidity with a clean crisp flavour profile, which delivers sweet chocolate, citrus and red fruit flavour notes that are perfectly balanced in each and every cup.’’
For further information about John Farrer & Co, Kendal please visit: http://farrerscoffee.co.uk
Or email: sales@farrerscoffee.co.uk or telephone: 01539 720 020
