conscious coffee
Getting the most out of the roast – sika’s sustainable approach.
The fourth wave of coffee is well and truly upon us, and we are loving the energy it brings. Blending high-quality artisanal coffee techniques with social and environmental consciousness, it’s not merely the smell, taste and experience of coffee that matters to us, but also the sustainable origins of the bean itself.
After the fun we had learning, tasting and sharing the delights of our first signature coffee roast in October last year, we knew this was just the beginning of our journey into the coffee world. We wanted to develop our understanding of not just how to share a great tasting, well-balanced cup, but also develop our planet-conscious responsibilities as producers and consumers.
When we spoke to our friend and coffee collaborator Greg at Outpost Coffee, about our vision for our next coffee adventure, his eyes lit up. He introduced us to a coffee community in Peru, who are using innovative earth-friendly techniques to grow their beans beneath the rainforest canopy without the need for destructive slash and burn farming production. Unique, ethically minded, community led with a creative mindset – the production of this bean reflects the vaabs ethos, producing perfectly balanced coffee in every way – enjoy the sika roast.
Crotishari coffee
Víctor is the leader of the Crotishari community, part of the Asháninka people who live in the Junín region of Peru. Víctor champions a program helping to support indigenous people to produce quality coffee, whilst also vitally securing biodiversity and slowing the damaging effects of deforestation. Situated within a spectacular valley, the Crotishari community are an 8.5 hour drive from the nearest main town Satipo.
This bean is picked and washed by hand using ‘honey processing’. The process gets its name as sticky amber coloured beans are produced by leaving de-pulped fresh coffee cherries to dry. The honey process uses less water, negating the need for washing before the milling stage – at the same time yielding a bean with greater flavour complexity. Víctor is guiding this small, remote group of people, with roughly 60 members, to positively impact the way coffee is consciously produced across the entire region – helping to foster change in the mindsets of coffee drinkers globally.
Thanks to Greg, founder of Outpost Coffee, who shared the origin story and images with us.
The sika roast has tasting notes of cocoa and sweet honey with a nutty finish. It arrives packed in fully recyclable, minimal packaging – a considered bag to make this coffee look just as good as it tastes.
grab your bag here
Brewing with Sonny
Now you know the origin and background of our sika roast, we wanted to give you a few brewing tips to ensure you get the most out of our roast. We caught up with Bath (UK) based barista Sonny, for an insight into how he brews our coffee – we love his easy-going mantra ‘coffee, life and all things nice’ – enjoy these pointers for the perfect cup.
track - grey
artist - Silicon Estate
video - Sian Mariah
