Blossom Coffee Roasters
Blossom Coffee Roasters are a new and exciting coffee roaster that has emerged from Manchester over the last year.
The quality of their coffee beans are outstanding, they purchase the finest green (raw) coffee from a small selection of importers.
They then roast the coffee in a way that maximises the sweeter notes while highlighting the interesting complexities and natural characteristics that many speciality coffees possess.
With a Q-grade certified team, Blossom certainly knows their stuff in the speciality coffee world and it’s no wonder they have caused a bit of a buzz in the coffee scene.
Other than their prowess in front of a coffee roaster, their focus on responsibility really stands out.
As the brand is still fairly young they are still working towards a few of their goals, however, Blossom coffee roasters have started as they mean to go on, creating a sustainable and environmentally conscious coffee roastery.
This all starts with the very roaster in which they roast. The Loring S15 is one of the most efficient coffee roasters on the market and has some of the lowest emissions.
Everything has been thought of, from the van in which they deliver coffee in Manchester through to the 100% renewable energy used at the roastery, they are always striving to implement ways of working that can help them make informed decisions about the impact they are having on the planet.
Although they have made some amazing efforts to keep emissions low, they are still aware that the nature of the speciality coffee supply chain means they are responsible for certain unavoidable emissions across operations.
As well as continuous research into alternatives, Blossom Coffee Roasters neutralise their remaining footprint by working with the leading experts on carbon neutrality and climate finance, Natural Capital Partners.
Another project that they are already involved in is one a little closer to home. With an ever-increasing number of us choosing to live in urban areas, our dependency on trees and green spaces within our cities for physical and mental wellbeing has never been greater.
Urban trees and woodlands also help to lock up carbon, filter air pollution, reduce flood risk and provide essential habitats for wildlife. They are nature’s ace card.
Blossom Coffee Roasters have partnered up with Manchester City of Trees, a local charity that aims to re-invigorate the city’s landscape by transforming underused, unloved woodland and planting a tree for every man, woman and child who lives there, within the next 30 years.
For every retail bag of their Blossom Espresso, they sell they donate a percentage of the profits to the City of Trees (£1 per kilo). That means every 40 bags of coffee they sell they fund the planting of a new tree in Manchester.
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The Origin
The Mártir coffee from Blossom Coffee Roasters originates from the La Plata region of Colombia
Mártir are central to the sourcing efforts of Blossom coffee roasters in Colombia and together with their sourcing partners Osito, they look forward to sharing beautiful coffee from this group for years to come.
Round and sweetness-forward, Mártir presents a caramelised sweetness that reminds us of brown sugar, lifted by notes of dates and a soft red apple acidity.
Màrtir, a group of 18 producers, was founded in 2019 by Didier Javier Pajoy Ico.
Osito, the sourcing company with whom Blossom work closely in Colombia, pay the producers directly and Didier earns nothing extra for volume.
He essentially volunteers as the leader whose motivation is to create a sustainable supply chain for himself and his associates.
There are no additional volume-driven incentives so the money that he and the other producers make is always rooted in quality first.
All of the producers are either farming organically or are in transition to organic practices, and Didier has spent a significant amount of time teaching producers how to make organic fertilisers and advising on how to best deal with waste water from washing coffee.
For Màrtir, the goal is always to produce the highest quality coffee in a manner which has the lowest impact on the environment.
What To Expect
Here’s what to expect from this sustainably driven Colombian coffee from Blossom coffee roasters.
Team Batch brew method of choice - Cafetiere coffee.
If you loved this coffee and want it to have it in your life again order directly from Blossom Coffee Roasters now.
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The Origin
The Musasa coffee from Blossom coffee roasters originates from the Rusizi region of Rwanda.
The Musasa washing station lies at 1,526 meters above sea level in the hills of the Congo Nile Trail practically on the banks of Lake Kivu.
1,750 farmers deliver to Musasa, all of whom live within a 15km radius of the station and, going against the trend of ageing coffee-producing populations, around 23% of which are under the age of 35.
Although farm sizes are small, at only around 0.18 hectares on average, farmers receive regular training in organic composting, renovation, harvesting techniques and other agricultural practices that ensure optimal growth for their small farms.
After selectively hand-picking, cherries are transported to the washing station and hand-sorted to remove any damaged or under-ripe cherries before they are weighed and pulped.
Musasa uses a Pinhalense eco-pulper, which separates ripe and underripe/underweight cherries again – this pulper uses one cubic meter of water to process up to 20 tons, significantly reducing the environmental footprint of the washing station.
Rwandan Coffee | Photo: Sucafina Speciality
After pulping, coffee is delivered to the fermentation tanks for around 24 hours, before being thoroughly washed in clean water.
After washing, coffee is delivered to drying tables where it is turned every 30 minutes initially and covered during the hottest part of the day, usually taking up to two weeks to dry.
Rwanda is one of the speciality coffee industries most interesting origins and deservedly prized.
Modern Rwanda is considered one of the most stable countries in the region. Since 2003, its economy has grown by 7-8% per year and coffee production has played a key role in this economic growth.
Coffee has also played a role in Rwanda's significant advancements towards gender equality. New initiatives that cater to women and focus on helping them equip themselves with the tools and knowledge for farming have been changing the way women view themselves and interact with the world around them.
The Review
As always with any of my favourite coffee roasters, I literally couldn't wait to crack the Musasa from Blossom Coffee Roasters open.
Light tasting coffee is a real love of mine, don’t get me wrong I enjoy a smooth and rich tasting coffee too but there is something about trying to figure out the subtle complexities of lighter coffees.
The Musasa starts with an undoubtedly light and crisp fragrance. Almost juicy yet I found it hard to actually put my finger on a flavour note.
The first few sips run straight to the back corners of your palate, the enjoyable acidy quench your taste buds with notes of green apple and a flash of grapefruit.
The flavours in this coffee brew are subtle and unassuming, the sharpness of the citrus fruit is enjoyable and balanced with a sprinkle of white sugar sweetness.
There is an undertone of black tea that shows up as the brew is cooling and entwines deliciously with a more pronounced grapefruit note.
The Musasa works really well as a pour-over, the complexities are pinpointed as the brew cools. The acidity is really well balanced, however (tip of the hat to the roaster) so it works great throughout the brewing spectrum.
