work from home, 04
volume 04
In volume 03, during the first UK lockdown, we explored the idea of our home environments as ‘machines for living’ - adapting to new ways of work, rest and play in a domestic setting. Today, during a second more restrictive lockdown, volume 04 looks at how we are incorporating and normalising activities that previously would have been experienced outside of the home, inside of it.
Coffee is one of those things. Coffee sales have rocketed in the UK since the first lockdown was introduced. The purchasing, preparing, drinking, and most importantly, the enjoyment of coffee, has seeped its way into the places we live and uncovered a new wave of coffee lovers.
Whether you are a beginner or a v60 veteran, we wanted to help coffee explorers on their individual journeys. The team is delighted to announce our own coffee, the 'umlazi roast' - a well-rounded bean that caters for any home and set-up.
We sat down with Greg, founder of Outpost Coffee, who we have had the pleasure to collaborate with for our first roast. We talk all things coffee, from Greg’s journey, to what makes the umlazi roast so special.
We are getting great reviews about this bean, what do you think they are loving about it?
Well we’re going to sound a little full of ourselves here but we knew people were going to love this coffee from the first time we cupped it. It’s so approachable as a cup, with its well defined milk chocolate note, sweet dried fruit and nutty finish, the acidity is on the lower side and it’s is so smooth on the finish - folks just get it, you don’t have to try hard to love it, it’s easy.
Because of those characteristic, we knew it would be a good place to start and would allow your clients to make their own minds up and then tell us what they’d like to drink next. Maybe something with a more defined acidity, more florals, fruitier? This is going to be a journey worth coming on if you’re into your coffee.
Greg, when we were with you in your roastery earlier this year, you took us on a journey into the jungle. We remember being so captivated by the stories you shared about your experiences and about some of those farmers - who are these people, how do they do what they do?
Yeah, Peru.. unbelievable place.. I took a trip to visit some of the very special indigenous communities we work with out there last year. These people are part of Ashaninka tribe, some of the original people of Peru, who love and grow their coffee within the forest. What makes them particularly special to me, is they grow their coffee beneath the forest canopy and do so in a way that minimises impact on the area’s natural bio-diversity. No slash and burn, no destruction of the forest. There’s an incredibly deep respect for their natural world, it feeds and takes care of them and in turn they are fiercely protective of it. When I visited last year I was the second westerner to have ever visited their community, an incredibly humbling opportunity and one that made me realise how removed we are from nature and the natural world these days.
How did you get into the coffee business?
I’d been making coffee as a younger man for some time before I had the opportunity to pick up a coffee wholesale business from a close friend who had decided to travel back to Uganda to manage his families coffee business. After a few years of learning the ropes it was time to buy a roaster and take another big step - shortly after that my business failed.. it was a huge blow, but I picked myself up and I’ve remained in it and continued to learn and hone my craft.
When you are selecting your beans, what are you looking for?
Quality is everything to us, if the cup is good enough to peak our interest, we’ll start to delve a little deeper - who’s grown it, how have they processed it, have they been paid well for it.. That transparency is so important in coffee today and it’s right that us roasters ask those kinds of questions, we can’t just assume the farmer has been paid right, we need to be sure.
Thoughts for anyone who might be interested in going into coffee? Are you taking any apprentices?
Coffee isn’t as glamorous as it looks! Coffee is graft, it’s a discipline that you have to hone over time, building on every roast and every brew you make. The variables are endless and it’s our job to identify those variables and minimise them in order to deliver a consistent, high quality cup of coffee. If you can focus, solve problems and repeat the same thing over 50 times and get nearly the same result every time, you’re perfectly suited to coffee :)
RE apprenticeship’s - actually yes, we’re looking for a roastery apprentice right now, if you’ve got what it takes to push us to be better day to day, then please get in touch.
living pack
Get the fundamentals right - check out our current pick of destination living products to enhance your lifestyle at home. Here you can take a look at Coffee Shop Series, who announced their photo-book, documenting the independent coffee scene, one city at a time (pre-order available soon) and of course pick up the beautifully packaged umlazi roast – let us know how it tastes.
your idea
Want to start a brand? Got an idea you want to brainstorm? We want to help make this time as productive as possible for you. If you have been working on something in the background, reach out for a creative session with the vaabs team over video call.
Drop us an email - tebo@vaabs.co & jay@vaabs.co
“The goal is practice, not perfection.”
- John Mark Comer