Fiori wins the 2008 Golden Bean

Posted on November 24, 2008

We are proud to announce that we have won the Equal Golden Bean Award. This year 120 coffee roasters from around Australia entered with over 500 submissions. We were fortunate enough to get a medal in all of the five categories we entered.

The main award goes to the roaster that has the highest combined point score in the two main categories of “Milk Based” and “Espresso”. This year that was us. Our “Espresso Blend” took a silver medal in the “Milk Based” category and our “Fiori Blend” took a bronze in the “Espresso” category. Incidentally, the South Australian Barista championships were also won this year using our “Fiori Blend”. These blends are our standard quality, off the shelf blends and not something made especially for a competition. We only have one quality.

All our winning submissions were roasted by Justin who made a choice to leave his career as a chef two years ago to come and work with us.  He has taken to roasting like a fish to water and made us particularly proud with his energy and passion.

Coffee Update

Posted on November 5, 2008

 Things have been very quiet on our news front simply because we’ve been so busy at the roastery. We are very fortunate and it’s a problem we appreciate.                                                                               

Since our last news flash we did a quick stint to Europe looking at buying a bigger roasting machine. Kam’s heart is still fluttering at the thought of 3200kg of ‘old school’ German built machinery circa 1960.   

On the coffee front we have had some really fine arrivals and some departures. Most notably;                                                               

Organic Guatemalan, La Quebrada Estate: Finished. This lovely coffee developed quiet a following and we bought as much as we could get our hands on but all good things come to an end. We have been offered the new seasons crop but it’s very ‘simple’ compared to last years so we let it pass.                                                             

Honduras, Gerardo Barrios: Finally it’s available again and it’s already snuck it’s way back into it’s rightful place in our blends. The coffee has now acclimatised and is opening up. The fruit is different this year i.e. it has more soft citrus and stone fruit notes. I had a traditional espresso from it and it really surprised me with an apricot, mango & coconut finish. I’m not sure if I imagined that… Nice velvety body and the typical low acid that makes it  sweet and approachable as a straight shot.                                                                          

Ethiopian, Natural Forest Dima: I’ve never had a coffee like this, it’s just incredibly fruity. I can’t find any info on it, it’s an odd lot one of the brokers brought in to fill the container and a sample came across our desk. In my reality, the Ethiopian Agricultural Department (EAD) genetically crossed the naturally occurring Arabica Typica with a packet of Gummy Bears. Seriously, …the broker informs me that the coffee is harvested from wild growing coffee trees by the traditional inhabitants of the area. I believe it. The coffee is adding it’s magic to the aromatics of our Fiori and Espresso blend.                                    

El Salvador, Bella Vista Estate: I have to admit it, Central Americans are my first love when it comes to washed Arabicas. This coffee is a cracker and absolute top shelf quality. It takes your pallet for a roller coaster ride and never looses its composure or balance. It enters your mouth with the best manners and puts you at ease with its soft texture, sweetness and fragrance then…. BOOM. We love it.  It’s too complex to give you a flavour description so just try it for yourself. Sensational as a plunger or filter because it has the acid structure (i.e. backbone) to hold it all up at that dilution rate. It’s already in the Mocha and Espresso blend.

Read about it here in the 2007 cup of excellence programme http://www.cupofexcellence.org/CountryPrograms/ElSalvador/tabid/60/Default.aspx

 

 

 

Fiori goes to Market

Posted on May 15, 2008

Come and join us this Sunday at the Western Farmers Markets in Fremantle. Have a leisurely coffee and browse fresh seasonal produce and handmade goodies. We will be there from 7.30am to 12.30pm with coffee especially chosen by Justin our roaster. Come along and say hello and see what taste sensation Justin chooses. The markets are on the corner of High and Montreal Streets in Fremantle and will be happening weekly.