Rounton Coffee | Blog

20/08/2020

What is the Maillard reaction (and why is it important to a coffee roaster)?

First of all, pronunciation: it’s pronounced my-YAR (named after Louis-Camille Maillard, who ‘discovered’ it in 1912). When it’s done right, it leads to brilliant sweetness, when done wrong, you get the bitterness we want to avoid in roasting. One of the key aspects of roasting coffee is manipulating the stage of the roast where the Maillard reaction (MR) happens. To do so, it helps to understand some of the chemistry behind the process. The MR isn’t exclusive to the coffee world. It is a key aspect of cooking. You’ll have... Read More

04/08/2020
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How Long Does Coffee Last?

Despite being a staple of nearly every home, there's a lot of confusion around how to store coffee... "Can coffee go bad?" "Where should it be stored?" "How can I keep it fresher for longer?" We thought it was time to weigh in and share our thoughts on the matter, from the journey of the green crop, all the way to your home.

30/07/2020

How Can We Be A More Environmentally Responsible Company?

Environmental JournalEntry 1: The start. The saying goes “you have to start somewhere” and I feel like this has been a long time coming. Today is the day I finally talk to the elephant in the room, not just because it is there, but because it is getting bigger. I am starting this journal today for a few reasons. I will keep them brief and concise – there will be plenty of time to get deeper as this thing progresses.  This is my list: I am concerned about the health... Read More

05/07/2020
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How has COVID-19 Impacted the Coffee Industry?

by David Burton, Head of Coffee The last few months have seen our lives dramatically change in an incomprehensible way and in such a short space of time. Staying at home under lockdown and social distancing measures dominate our new daily way of life, with the threat of infection from the novel coronavirus still casting a shadow over most of the globe. As we start to come to terms with our “new normal” and with the lifting of some social restrictions, we can start to reflect and look at the... Read More

19/06/2020

How Clean Is Your Machine?

A machine that hasn’t been properly cleaned and maintained will need repairing sooner than one that has. Not only that, but a dirty machine will never give you the quality of coffee that your customers deserve... We’re here to give you a few pointers on how to keep on top of your cleaning and show you what to avoid

30/04/2020
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Nightingale Coffee – Our Pledge To The NHS

Over the last few weeks, we have been doing our best to keep local NHS services well-caffeinated. Given the circumstances they find themselves in, a good cup of coffee is the very least we can do for them. Back in March, before we entered lockdown, we pledged to give free coffee to NHS staff, from our two shops in Middlesbrough. With the support of Drew Rowley of React Nutrition, we had the equivalent of 500 coffees behind the bars.  Unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to give all of these... Read More

01/08/2019
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Why Do We Cup Coffees?

What is Coffee Cupping? Cup tasting (a.k.a cupping) is the process of objectively assessing the quality of coffee samples. If you’ve seen anyone with what looks like a soup spoon, slurping loudly at a table full of coffees, they’ll have been cupping! Coffees are scored according to Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) protocol using this sheet, and the resulting total gives us an indication of the quality of the coffee – anything scoring 80+ being classed as specialty grade. This protocol gives us a shared language to use when talking to... Read More

21/06/2019
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Our New Roaster

Why Do We Need A New Roaster? Every journey has its first steps, and for us, that took the form of some pretty humble beginnings. After spending time in Sumatra and deciding to take the plunge into the world of coffee upon returning home, Rounton Coffee Roasters was born – but we had nothing to roast coffee with! We started out by buying a 10kg drum roaster from Toper, imported from Turkey. In our infancy, the roaster would be turned on once a week, and we would roast a handful... Read More