Sheridan’s Food Fair

It’s very rare that I get excited about an Irish food event (I’m a little jaded after participating in one-too-many mediocre ‘farmers markets’).

But on Sunday, May 30th, the legendary Sheridan brothers – of Sheridans Cheesemongers fame – will be hosting a what looks like a truly fantastic food festival at their headquarters in Carnaross, Co. Meath (that’s about an hour and a bit from Dublin). The glitterati of Irish artisan producers will be in attendance with workshops, demonstrations and fun activities for the kids.

Full details can be found on the brochure below or on the Sheridans Cheesemongers website.

Coffee Angel will be there serving both espresso-based and pour-over coffees, with a full retail selection of coffee and Hario brewing tools also available.

It sounds like a great day out to me!

Download (PDF, 556.19KB)

Tags: artisan, cheese, Cheesemongers, Co. Meath, Sheridan's Food Fair
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G.O.D. Fridays

There is no futures market for vintage coffee grounds. Properly grinding your beans just before brewing is an unquestionable industry standard and one of the essential steps for those professionals dedicated to brewing quality coffee.

By grinding-to-order you have the potential to open a Pandora’s Box of sensory pleasure and really allow your coffee to sing as nature (and a few others) intended. This principle applies equally in your favourite coffeeshop as it does in your kitchen at home.

There are several reasonably-priced, home grinders out there that are more than up to the task – see here for several that Coffee Angel both stock and recommend. But given today’s economic reality, I can accept that not every coffee-loving home may be able to afford this small luxury / investment.

Rather than let you face the weekend with your local supermarket’s stale, pre-ground stock, we have come up with a compromise¹ – G.O.D. Fridays. That is ‘Grind On Demand’ in case you think I’ve suddenly decided to seek redemption for the follies of a misspent youth (not really the place to discuss).

So if your home is ‘sans grinder’, simply place your coffee order before 11am on any Friday² – either through our webshop or any of our locations in the Dublin Docklands – select how you would like your coffee ground and we will grind, seal and deliver to your home or office free of charge³ within Dublin 1 or 2 before 3 p.m. that day.

When you get home, keep your coffee stored in a cool place (not the freezer), away from direct light and sealed until you need it. Exposure to oxygen will only speed up deterioration.

Grinding to order is definitely the best solution. But I do think G.O.D Friday’s are a close second.

1. We still believe that grinding just before brewing is still the best option. [↩]
2. This service excludes public and bank holidays. [↩]
3. We do require that payment for coffee is made prior to delivery. This can be handled painlessly through our webshop. Just select ‘Local Collection’ on the checkout page and all shipping charges will be removed. Regrettably, this offer is only available to addresses within Dublin 1 and 2. [↩]

Tags: Coffee Angel, delivery, G.O.D. Fridays, Grind On Demand
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Moaning, the Media & Michelin Stars

Truth be told, I have been known to moan about the poor standard of restaurant coffee. And as an industry, I believe we all do!

Based on the length of time I’ve been wallowing in this demitasse of dissappointment, I have been excruciatingly slow in articulating my feelings to those who are positioned to really make the difference – namely restaurant owners themselves and the press who seem ill-equipped to credibly comment.

Following the rather dissappointing press coverage of the recent 2010 Avonmore Irish Barista Championships and some very recent, lackluster, local media reports on coffee in general, I decided it was high time to stop moaning and start writing.

So I posted, or rather ranted, my thoughts on a local food and wine blog, ForkNCork. My post was a little long winded and considerably emotive, but most readers will have got the gist of what I was trying to say.

I suspect that my comments may have annoyed / offended a few people both in the industry and press, given that the replies posted on ForkNCork were few and far between.

Having waxed lyrical about the availability of world class coffee leaders here in Ireland (and believe me, we have them) and the quality of our local roasters, I certainly feel like a gauntlet has been thrown down to those in the press to learn more and those in the trade to at least consider the quality of their coffee offer.

So let’s just say that having said my peace, my conscience is now clear.

Now, there is some good news!

There is one Irish restaurant – and one forward-thinking chef out there – willing to take on board my stinging criticisms.

This past weekend has seen first seeds planted. So, drum roll please… Ross Lewis’ Chapter One is the first Michelin Starred restaurant in Ireland and the UK to offer a Single Estate, Pour Over Service.

From this point on, the coffee served at Chapter One’s Chef’s Table will be ground to order (in the Baratza Maestro Plus) and brewed at the table using Hario’s range of V60 brewers, the Buono Kettle and Coffee Angel’s own Hario Flight Deck.

Coffee Angel will source and supply all coffee. We will be looking for the best coffee fit for the restaurant menu and focusing on quality, traceability and seasonality. We are not above looking to other roasters if we can’t supply what is needed and Steve Leighton of HasBean fame has kindly offered to supply his precious Fazenda Floresta as the first Single Estate on offer. Staff will be briefed on the coffee prior to service and provide guests with detailed tasting notes, flavour descriptors and origin information during the brewing process.

We will be taking it slowly at first, but do hope to roll out the service to the main restaurant’s Tasting Menu – given customer and staff feedback from the Chef’s Table, and that a few technical / logistical solutions can be found to ensure quality and service are not compromised on the restaurant floor.

Coffee Angel will soon be supplying all the coffee at Chapter One – including the front bar – and working closely with the team to ensure that the coffee standards are truly Michelin Star.

I wouldn’t recommend my rather confrontational approach to others, but I do think we as an industry do need to assert ourselves outside of the comfy ‘coffee shop love-in’ we all enjoy and tackle the wider catering community head on. I do believe this is our best chance of improving the overall standard.

I am delighted that I have at the very least found a restaurant prepared to listen. Now it’s up to me to deliver.

Ps. Further images of the Hario Flight Deck can be found here.

Tags: Chapter One, Coffee Angel, Drip Service, Hario, Michelin Star, Pour Over
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And I’d Like to Thank…

Christmas has come early this year. I have just received notification that Coffee Angel has received The Bridgestone Award, Best in Ireland 2010. We’ll also be included in their new guide book due to be published soon.



My own personal history has taught me that no amount of awards and/or positive reviews can ever guarantee business success, but when any accolade comes it certainly feels great.

Obviously, the real credit should go to my baristas – Simon, Juan & Sam as well as Ruslan and Andrew – who work damn hard every single day. Their dedication and commitment to quality coffee and professional service ensure that our customers leave happy and most importantly, return.

Tags: 2010, Award, Best in Ireland, Bridgestone Guide, Coffee Angel
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It’s So Refreshing

Although there was nothing wrong with our old take-away cups, we had just finished our existing print run and rather than commit to another 200K, I felt the time was right to freshen things up. Also worth considering was the transatlantic carbon footprint our former US-made cups left behind. It just seemed to make sense to look at a new cup design.

I have never underestimated the importance of the take-away cup. Apart from serving as a simple vessel to hold our ‘bread and butter’ product, the paper cup is literally the first tangible product most of our customers get a hold of. I would even say that the take-away cup serves to define how the customer sees themselves and wants to be seen.

Granted, the take-away cup is disposable and not likely to ever be washed, re-used or cherished, but I felt this was a great opportunity for us to redefine our take-away experience.

My design brief was simple. Create a unique take-away cup that not only reflects the quality of our coffee, but one that our customers will enjoy both the look and feel of. I wanted a cup that further embraced (and maybe enhance) the sensory experience; one that the customer was proud to hang on to for as long as there was coffee in the cup.

Superstar designer, Oran Day, blew me away with his initial ideas – even though he admitted that he had no idea if was what he was proposing was possible given the reluctance of previous cup manufacturers to think outside the box / cup. Thankfully, in stepped Terry Fox, from Cupprint, a new cup manufacturer based here in Ireland. He was certainly challenged, but more than willing to entertain Oran’s rather complex and unconventional ideas.

Several months and prototypes later (and a lot of behind the scenes calculations, frustrations and protestations), both Oran and Terry have delivered a paper cup that totally exceeded my expectations – it’s both lovely to look at and to hold… and maybe the coffee even tastes that bit better. The customer feedback has been great and Coffee Angel has what I feel is one of the best looking take-away cups in the world. Thanks guys!

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