Hearing of its triumph as winner of the Best Independent Coffee Shop – Europe category at the European Coffee Awards 2013, H & C News took the opportunity to learn more about Workshop Coffee Co. And the growing market that it serves.
We visited their attractive, buzzing Clerkenwell Road outlet, where Executive Director James Dickson explained the operation, its origins and development.
Workshop Coffee describes itself as ‘a fully integrated coffee company with a progressive roasting department that is responsible for sourcing, roasting (see photo below) and supplying the sweetest, cleanest, freshest and most sustainably-procured coffee they can find’. No small challenge, but one that increasing numbers of customers believe they deliver – as do Awards judges!
The Specialty Coffee Market
Workshop Coffee delivers high quality product at premium prices: this is not the coffee you receive in high street coffee shops – or on most supermarket shelves.
Immense time and attention is paid to sourcing and also to roasting: every bean has to be roasted with extreme attention to finding the optimum mix of heat and time to protect and enhance the flavours. As a result, the flavour profile of the coffee may be different from what customers are used to drinking – but growing sales prove their appreciation.
Customers recognise this care and expertise – and sales have been growing alongside Workshop’s expertise and experience. Some may doubt the comparisons made between wine and coffee but, looking at this operation, they become a great deal more credible.
Background
The idea for Workshop Coffee was conceived by James Dickson in 2009, influenced by Third Wave Coffee, a global movement geared towards treating coffee as an artisan foodstuff. His idea was to offer London something new: an East London destination that would combine the sourcing, roasting, extracting and serving of truly memorable coffee as well as exemplary customer service.
It took two years and the help of Tim Williams, Director of Operations, before Workshop Coffee opened in an old textile factory in Clerkenwell, followed very quickly by a coffee bar in Marylebone.
Wholesale coffee supply to other independent cafes followed, and in 2013 they launched an online ‘Dispensary’, selling coffee and equipment direct to customers.
Recognition didn’t take long:
- Best Independent Cafe at 2012 Cafe Society Awards
- Observer Food Monthly’s Best Vegetarian Breakfast
- Workshop Coffee’s Head of Quality won 2012 UK Brewers Cup Champion
Clerkenwell Road: from green bean to coffee in yards
As pictured above, this translates the original Victorian factory into a modern urban warehouse ‘vibe’ – exposed brickwork, metal trunking and ductwork, rustic communal tables – and a living plant wall.
But the dominant feature is the large, gleaming roaster (pictured below) at the back of the room – providing a full sensory experience when in operation – which is further enhanced by the hessian sacks of green coffee beans lining the walls.
From roaster to coffee cup is just a few yards, but it’s a visual and sensory journey that customers enjoy – and adds to the ‘guest experience’.
Seating 80, it’s not just about coffee – there’s a concise menu of modern international cuisine to enjoy as part of the overall experience.
The coffee
Workshop Coffee continually seeks to improve every step of its mission to source, roast and serve the best coffee possible – whether it’s securing the finest raw material, working with importers committed to producers’ livelihoods, developing its roasting methods, or delivering the best tasting cup of coffee.
Coffee is bought in its purest form – the green seed – and Workshop Coffee works hard with its producers. James Dickson:
‘We are always working towards providing greater rewards for producers committed to more selective hand-picking of ripe cherries, ongoing investment in production facilities, and the welfare of workers or co-operative members. We see this as being vital to the sustainability of the highest quality coffee production and service.’
The production department is charged with roasting each individual coffee to best effect, ensuring that the inherent sweetness, clarity, acidity and balance are showcased. The production team ‘cup’ frequently: a method that involves the tasting of different coffees in order to evaluate the different characteristics of a particular coffee bean and thus gain greater insight into the complexities of every coffee that finds its way to the cupping table.
Serving the coffee
Workshop’s baristas are put through a finely tuned training programme to ensure that they achieve the correct brewing recipe for selected coffees and make every drink to the highest quality possible – as customers have come to expect.
And next?
Workshop Coffee is helping to grow and growing with the specialty coffee market.
In addition to 27 Clerkenwell Road, its small outlet in Marylebone (75 Wigmore Street) is flourishing, and a third outlet is on the way…Well worth a visit if you’re in the area – better still, we suggest you make time and try the coffee for yourself!
‘Dispensary‘ sales were launched in February, and are proving attractive to a wide range of customers.
Wholesale trade is also building, as coffee outlets from London to Scotland discover the attractions of Workshop Coffee products.
And January 2014 will see Workshop Coffee running Home Brewing Classes to demystify the whole process, at the same time helping to increase the appreciation and enjoyment of the drink itself.
Specialty coffee and Workshop Coffee Co are both set to grow…
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