Delicious UK - (10)October 2020

FROM PANAMA

TO THE PENNINES

CoffeeroastersDarkWoodsmaytraveltheglobetosourcebeansbut,asPatrick

McGuigan discovers, the other half of the artistry happens closer to home

T

hecoffeebeansroastedby

DarkWoodscomefrom

exoticlocationssuchas

Ethiopia,CostaRicaandBrazil,but

thecompany’sheadquarterscouldn’t

bemoreBritish.Headquarteredin

anoldtextilemillbesidea canal

and theRiverColne,DarkWoods

roastsitsbeanssurrounded

bythemoorland,

dry-stonewallsand

theancientwoods

ofthePennines.

“Workingin

a dramatic,

windswept

valleyhelps

inspire the mood

andflavoursofourcoffees,”says

roasterDamianBlackburn,who

co-foundedthebusinessin 2013

withtwocoffee-industryfriends,

PaulMeikle-JanneyandIanAgnew.

“Youneedtobeinthezonewhen

you’reroastingtobeabletohear,

seeandsmellthebeans,soit’sgood

toworkina peacefulspace.”

Thecompanysourcesspeciality

coffeevarietiesfromskilledfarmers,

thenroaststhemina vintage1950s

Germandrumroastertobring out

theirdistinctiveflavours.

Thereis plentyofdistinctionin

LaHuellaCafédePanama,for

example,lastyear’swinnerofthe

Great Taste Award’s Golden Fork

forBestNorthernProduct.It’s

createdinpartnershipwiththe

LaHuellafarmers’collectivein

Panama– headedupbyPedro

Moss,whohand-selectsandmills

micro-lotsofbeansforDarkWoods.

“Thesesmall,uniquebatchesare

sourcedfromdifferentproducers

undertheLaHuellaumbrella.

Everyfarmerworkswiththe

distinctivemicro-climates,soils,

altitudes,Arabicavarietiesand

processstylesfoundinandaround

thetownofBoquete,”explains

Blackburn.Thebatchesusedto

maketheCafédePanamaNatural

coffeeareprimarilyselectedfroma

farmcalledFincaPandura,andthe

beansaredriedwithintheir

cherriesonraisedbedsinthesun.

“Thisformof‘natural’processing

lendsthebeansanextra-sweet

fruitiness,whichis combinedwith

a richbodyandchocolateyflavour

oncetheyarecarefully roasted,”

saysBlackburn.

Unlockingthenaturalsweetness,

acidityandcomplexaromasis a

delicatejob,however,andonly5kg

ofbeansareroastedata time.“We

leavetheroasta littlelightersothe

inherentfruitinessshines through

inthecup,”hesays.

Thefinalflavouris remarkable,

takinginberryandmilkchocolate

noteswitha clean,sweet,cranberry

finish– a tasteofPanama with a

hintofthePennines.

WHERETOBUY

Visit darkwoodscoffee.co.uk PHOTOGRAPHS: RICHARD FAULKS

WORKING
TOGETHER
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