Taylors of Harrogate coffee tasting trip

Some things put a spring in my step and my daily coffee is definitely one of them, so when Taylor’s of Harrogate invited me up to their HQ for a coffee tasting day, well let’s just say I didn’t hesitate in saying YES!

They’re working hard to promote their new selection packs of coffee in a bid to get their customers to be brave and try some varieties they’ve perhaps not tried before without having to commit to a whole bag.

Tasting the coffee

To illustrate just how different coffee can taste, Emily, one of the coffee buyers at Taylor’s expertly talked us through the whole process of coffee growing and then treated us to a selection of single origin coffees to try. This really hammered home just how varied the flavours are depending on the part of the world they’ve been grown.

The East African coffees had a light citrussy taste – more on the tea spectrum with a very reviving quality. At the other end of the scale there were the beans from Indonesia which were rich, chocolatey and intense – an attribute that more and more of us are falling for given the growing taste for espresso in the UK.

It was interesting to note that Taylor’s Lazy Sunday blend – a relaxed and fairly light coffee used to be their top seller has now been pipped at the post in popularity by their Rich Italian blend. Before I got heavily into coffee, Lazy Sunday was my go-to selection for a cafetiere, but that has since been eclipsed by the need for a much stronger brew. I think it’s more to do with the effect of having small children though to be honest!

So if you’re up for trying out different blends then the selection boxes are definitely a good idea. Each sachet is enough to make up an 8 cup cafetiere.

We were then lucky enough to go on a tour of the factory watching the raw coffee beans travel around getting roasted, ground and then packaged up. One of the best things about being a food writer is going behind the scenes and seeing the production process in full swing. The smell of the roasting coffee was divine and the chap doing our tour was really friendly and welcoming. You got the feeling that Taylor’s is a really feel-good place to work.

So really what i’ve taken from the experience is it’s definitely worth branching out and trying lots of different coffees to see what are your faves. You might be surprised at what’s out there. Also to bear in mind that different coffees will suit different occasions – much like wine. So a lighter blend will mean you can have a few cups throughout the day without bouncing off the walls, and a richer roast will make the perfect perk up when you’re tired or a lovely end to a dinner party.

Get out there and experiment!

Thanks to Taylor’s of Harrogate for treating us to such a lovely day out up North – they kindly gave us lunch and covered my rail fare.