Symposium coffee was founded by Steven Sheard & Phillip Oliver. With backgrounds in the military, business and academia the couple have united to create the London based roastery.  

Symposium focus on East African coffees roasting their delicious coffee on a 15kg Giesen. The packaging they use is environmentally friendly and they are looking at ways to make the business fully green. Located in London they are trying out various methods of retail that have the lowest carbon footprint. 

The Ethiopian coffee from Symposium is from the Sidamo region. Synonymous in the speciality coffee industry Sidamo produces some of the best coffees in the world. One of Ethiopia’s highest growing regions, the coffee grown here normally produces fruity and intensely aromatic cups. 

The initial fragrance of the coffee is sweet and syrupy and reminded me of so many of the coffees typical of this region. The coffee starts with a subtle tang and rushes to the back of your palate like the first bite of a crunchy red apple. The tangy acidic flavours subside fairly quickly once the coffee cools and settles into a mildly sweet cup with an enjoyably light mouthfeel.

Once cooled all the way down to almost room temperature the coffee obtains a little more body and its syrupy intro reemerges with delicate notes of brown sugar. 

The coffee is typically complex and was a delight to drink. It evolved throughout the cup, layered with vibrant and bright flavours to start then finishing with a deliciously sweet aftertaste.

An incredibly approachable coffee that can be enjoyed all day. Brewed in a V60 was my preference, but it worked well in a cafetiere too.