Specialty Coffee Fix

You are listening to Double Espresso with Kai and George recorded in Swig hq. Hello. Hello. We're back. We're back from a, a hiatus, a very long hiatus. Is that, is that the right word? Yeah. A break hiatus. A little break. Nice, nice. Um, we apologize that it's, uh, it's been a while that we've not got an episode out.

Yeah. I apologize for me and the Swig community. It's fine. It's is what it is. We, we were away because Kai has been so busy, we've just not been able to get into the shop and actually record an episode, which is great because it means that things are going well. Yeah, yeah. Let's say that. Yeah. Say that. No, it has been going well.

No, it is, it is, but it's just a bit of a shame. But, you know, we're, we're here, we're here, we're here, and we are, and, and as, as always, you have done a full shift today. Yeah. And you sold out though, which is good. Sold out. Yeah. Uh, I dunno from the last [00:01:00] podcast, but there has been a rise in change in customers and people coming back and selling me out quite a lot.

And I think now the menu's changed a bit so we got more food options, more cakes, it's all in house now. Um, so yeah, people loving the sandwiches and the coffee, the different choices I've got. So I think that's probably why I've been so busy. 'cause. Yeah, that's it. Basically. I have to from a personal note, go on the new sandwiches that you've got, which I don't think were on the menu when the last episode came out.

No, no, no. I think I trialed a few. Yeah. So, but now the, the Amalfi and the Napoli. Napoli, oh my God. The Napoli is, why don't we tell the wonderful listeners at home about the sandwiches? 'cause they are a moment. Good idea. Yeah. Right. So we've got two sandwiches on the menu. If you've not been for one, you should.

Um, yeah, you know what I'm gonna say? They're good because How would they sell 'em if they're not good? Uh, no, if they're not [00:02:00] good. They're banging. They're banging. Yeah, they're banging. Yeah. So it's a faccia, um, Italian sandwich. It's not, it's not a style of sandwich. It is an Italian sandwich. Um, 'cause of my family Italian heritage, I thought it's only right to do a really good Italian sandwich.

And for me, sourdough bread's just not my choice of bread. I. It's normally too hard and gives you like cuts in your mouth. Not from everywhere, but it's not for me. No, it's not for me either. So I agree. So the cat is a beautiful, really simple if done well, great bread. And these sandwiches are a big juicy sized sandwich.

We've got a vegetarian one and, and a, and a meat one. And the meat one is the Napoli, which is fresh baked for Kacha, um, with a ricotta base, mortadella fresh sliced ham. Um, rocket, sun, dried tomatoes and balsamic glaze on the top. Mm-hmm. Super simple. And then obviously [00:03:00] the salted bread just works really well.

And then the amalfi is similar. It's the same bread, but that's a mozzarella, sund, dried tomatoes, peppers, or switched out with, um, roasted, um, je um, rocket and. Pesto. Oh, with Balonic Glaze. So that's the two sandwiches that I've been selling quite a lot. I trial them, but they're doing great. Everyone seems to love them.

They sell out. Weekends is like, they're gone between flipping. They, they heart nine and 11. Yeah. I mean it's the most heartbreaking thing when you think, do you know what? I'm gonna go to swig. I wanna get a sando as you call them, with a coffee. Yeah. Sando. And then you come and you see the empty case and there's no sandwiches.

It's the worst. Yeah. Or a cake. And someone's just like scraping you in a bit of banana bread. Oh. Um, but which normally get for free. 'cause I feel bad we have to, we have to give a big shout though to you do the, the swig. None [00:04:00] of this, uh, cakes and, uh, sandwiches would work without Mrs. Swig, who is amazing.

My partner, uh, she has a baking background but didn't bake for a long time and has kept saying to me from the whole start of swig to now. If you ever get the chance and we get the time, I'll be your baker. So I was like, right, I'm gonna buy you a KitchenAid and see what happens. So I bought a KitchenAid and uh, lo and behold, the cakes are selling out.

Yeah. And the bread. So it's nice one. Yeah. Amazing. But lemme just add Poor Maisie, we ever see you Don't tell this. Just tell her that, you know. Well, if you don't like it, you can tell her that as well. But if you do like any of her stuff, tell her because she never gets to really try it. 'cause she's gluten free.

And we do do gluten-free cakes every so often, but majority of the stuff, oh, sorry. To uh, just change the subject. Oh, one of the stars of the show at the moment is the new release of the Fona. Oh yes. Um, which is a [00:05:00] focaccia based donut, which is filled with either pistachio cream, Nutella, or Strawberry Jam, which she and I created.

But she's basically the person that does everything you see. But yes, you can't try anything 'cause you're gluten free. Uh, so basically it's just me telling her the recipe that I want, how I want it to be made, and then she bakes the bread. I then fill the sandwiches, et cetera. But as a duo, I think we've pretty nailed it to be fair on the, the bakes and the suns.

Oh, absolutely. And the For Kona, oh my God. Is absolutely like they sell out the fastest. To be fair, I didn't think it would work, but it is like, just, just does, don't it. It's heavenly. Yeah, it's good. It's brilliant. So that's that. Um. So yeah, if you're not been come and get a sando or whatever, it's a good deal.

Yeah, it's a good deal. And yeah. Yeah. The deal is a 10 quid. You get a sandwich and a hot coffee for a tenor, which is pretty good. I think. It is. Not for, not for my [00:06:00] wallet, 'cause I keep buying them. But yeah, it's good. Some people don't wanna do the sando deal though. They say, oh no, I don't want to, I just wanna pay.

I'm like, fair enough. Don't, don't discourage that. Yeah. Yeah. It's quite nice. An extra one pound 16 p, you know? Yeah, absolutely. Well, every penny counts. So, um, so what are we talking about today? What are we doing today? So, there'd be a few topics today. I think it needs to be quite a smooth, fast one. Uh, 'cause me and George both have things to do, uh, but.

I think we should first mention, um, a little thing that George just spotted in the shop. So there's a new, if you've been to the shop, uh, there's a few skateboards knocking about one on the wall. That's the swig, uh, skateboard, um, designed, uh, by a local, um, um, graphic designer and a, and a painter. She, um, like paint skateboards and stuff, um, which is a beautiful, she's called, uh, Sally Marshall Artist that on Instagram.

Um, but [00:07:00] there's also another skateboard that's new at a week old in the shop, which says, whole latte love. Mm. Which is like, you know, a whole lot of love. Um, you, you know. Yeah. I did a whole lot of love. I know what, yeah. I didn't, yeah. I didn't realize that's what I was trying to, yeah. Yeah. Whole lot of love, but whole latte love Anyway.

Uh, so George was like, what's this? And it says, Manchester Slurp Fest. So, Manchester Slurp Fest, George. Mm-hmm. And listeners. Is a new brought out last year. Very thought about, well executed festival for coffee. So you've got the Manchester Coffee Festival, you've got Nottingham Coffee Festival, you've got London Coffee Festival.

You've got, uh. Sheffield Coffee Festival. Anyway, you got multiple coffee festivals around the uk. Yeah, but these guys, uh, there's two people involved in it. Nat, who owns Atrium Coffee in the city. I've mentioned him before. Mm-hmm. And Laura, who is basically Miss Oatley. In the uk. Okay. Um, them two collaborated [00:08:00] together.

They're good friends through the industry and they created this, um, beautiful festival that is slightly different than all of the festivals that we know, as in the specialty coffee scene. Basically what it is, is it's a chance to showcase all of the coffee shops within Manchester are a much more approachable route.

So basically the last one that was done, um, was last year. And it basically was, uh, a trail. So they created a coffee trail Ooh. Where you had a map and you could go around all the coffee shops and if you filled all the coffee shops you like, basically won a prize. Uh, and then they had a latte, art showdown in, in the city.

And that was like loads of baristas competing and it was really fun. There was beers, you know, there was a bit of pizza, uh, there was sponsorships from Denki Coffee Roastery in, uh, Bolton. And um, then obviously this [00:09:00] lovely skateboard, which has a bit of history. So yes, skateboard was one by Yusef, who's the head barista at Federal.

Oh, okay. Yeah. And he's a good mate of mine and he's just had a kid. And I went around to see his kid the other night, um, his little baby. Um, and he was like, yo, uncle Kai, I've got a gift for you. I was like, go on then. What is it? He was like, I'm gifting this skateboard because it'll look better in your shop than it will in my house.

Oh, so. Nat who runs Manchester Urrp Fest the other day was like, ah, a cool skateboard. Wait a minute, how's he got that in here? Um, so yeah, that was donated by Yusef for an air, but it's quite cool. It goes with the vibe. I think he, that's what, you know, with the other skateboard and stuff, it kind of made sense.

But anyway, it's another way to showcase Manchester Urrp Fest off, and I think personally that Manchester Slrp Fest this year, I'm not sure on the date and when it is, but. It's gonna be bigger and better than ever before. And I think it's gonna start growing to be one of the [00:10:00] best coffee events there is in this city anyway.

Um, and I think the approach to it's way more. It's just a lot more smoother and it brings people together. Like on the night that the, the Manchester Slur Fest event was at the main event. Mm-hmm. There was coffee people in a room that would never have talked to each other. Because you are stealing my business.

You are stealing my business. Yeah. Yeah. My coffee's doing better than yours. You got the same coffee retail bags as me, everyone's. Competition. It's a business. Yeah, absolutely. This event was an event. The whole idea is to bring the community together, to not make it a hierarchy, to not push anyone out, to support all the different coffee shops, all different baristas of all levels.

Um, so it's, yeah, it's amazing. So please keep a look up for that. That's enough saying on that. I'm thinking maybe, maybe a little special episode. I think it's, I think Nat would, he lives around the corner, so he'd definitely be up for it. Ooh. To chat about what Manchester Fest is and if we can big it up and get some viewers and listeners to [00:11:00] go and join into it and be involved.

I think he'd love that. And uh, depending on where Laura is in the world at the time, she does live in Manchester, but she's about a lot. Right. Okay. Doing things remotely. Um, I'm sure they'd love to jump on and have a chat. Well even just watch the space listeners watch this space. Watch the space. Yeah.

We've got some cool people. Yeah. Coming. So the next topic, um, on that note, there was another one, but I forgot about it. It was that, something else I was gonna mention, I can't remember, but the main topic of the, the, the podcast today, um, that I thought would be quite cool, would be what makes a coffee specialty?

Okay. Yeah. Specialty, whichever way you wanna say it. Specialty, specialty, whatever. Uh, depending on what context. Um, and I want kind of dive into make you understand, 'cause it is the podcast called Double Espresso. Right. And we introduced it as I know a lot you don't, I and I, but now you [00:12:00] do know quite a lot, so you know I do.

Yes. Um, so I'm learning. Yeah. But this is quite a cool way to understand why. 'cause people do ask. What does that mean? Why aren't your abled outside? Does it say specialty coffee? Why is Costa not specialty coffee? Ooh. Can you answer that question? Well, yeah. I'm about to tell you. Okay. I'm listening. So. The definition of specialty coffee is essentially from a scoring system.

So when coffee shops, well, I don't score myself, obviously, I buy coffee in that specialty coffee. So it's already been Pres scored. Yeah. Okay. So from roasters point of view, you can't really say you are a specialty coffee shop unless you are selling specialty coffee. Makes sense. Now, some places people go, oh, well there's a coffee shop in the park near me.

That doesn't do great coffee, but they use the word specialty. That's because SCA scoring system. Mm-hmm. Right. [00:13:00] Have rated that coffee 80 plus on points. So coffees are scored by points. Okay. So anything over 80 is specialty coffee. Now you could sell coffee at 80 and that specialty coffee, it might not be the best coffee in the world.

Like, for example, most coffees I have are 85 and above. 84 and above, right? 88 and above. Depending on if I'm selling out a filter coffee on Hamburg Brew or et cetera, uh, you know, high scores are like in the nineties. That's like elite world class award-winning coffees that can win competitions, et cetera, and taste out of this world.

Uh, so that's the whole definition of specialty coffee and how you can call yourself a specialty coffee shop. Right. Okay. Okay. So do you get that? Yep. Um, so yeah, in the specialty world as well, there's a few sectors. So there's the definition of specialty coffee, that's from the SCA scoring system. There's the journey from farm to cup, which is [00:14:00] basically when I deliver you your drink on the table, are you asking where that's coming from?

And can you tell me where that's come from? So say, well, majority of the time I can, yeah. Obviously, if I was going into detail about every single coffee I've got, it would would be here all night. No, but I mean, or actually, yeah. Ethics wise, you, you'll know where Yeah. If I ask you to answer. Yeah. Ethics, what?

Ethics wise on the house, coffee I use to guest coffee, I use all them coffee roasteries have an explanation to where their coffee's sourced from, how ethically sourced it is, what parts of the world it's from, regions, producers, et cetera, to then the roastery. So, so for example, if a house coffee has, um, some Colombian coffee in it and a Brazilian coffee in it, right?

Mm-hmm. Then two places are two parts of the world. However, that roaster might have connections, well will have connections with both of them areas most of the time. One farm, one producer, normally a family that are working on that [00:15:00] farm to produce ethically sourced, high graded coffee. But the roasters protect them.

Farm. They look after them, they pay them well, they make sure everything's fine, smooth, you know, et cetera. Now the most roasters that are elite and specialty will have or be publicizing that. So for example, highlight to Atkinson's Coffee, they are amazing at that. On their social media, they're constantly posting like, literally like photographs and videos of like the people and where they get their coffee from, like packaging the coffee, you know, it's got Atkinson stamps on it, they're in the farms and the, you know, they've got a great thing going on.

And you know, it's not all, it's not fake. It's all real. Like, mm. They literally feed these farms, these family farms money. To help them, and them to help the coffee roastery. So it's fair. It's fair trade. Fair trade. Fair trade, okay. Sort of, yeah. But that's, it is different in coffee. Like that's where specialty comes in.

Okay. Um, because [00:16:00] Costa will use Fair Trade 'cause it's legal, it has to be legally done, but their coffee might not be 80. Okay. So you might not be able to track Exactly. Back to, well, I don't know. I don't know. What cost are you? No, I think it's pretty, they all have to be pretty good. But it's not high graded specialty coffee.

If you get me, um, just going back to, 'cause you said like you might get two coffee beans from different places. So would that be a mixed origin? Yeah, so that's, that's a blend. A blend. Okay. Blend blends of coffee. Yeah. Normally on house coffees they do that. Single origin coffees are more normally high graded because they're more honed in on that one coffee.

Yeah. Um, so that's another part of specialty. Um, I've got a roll of the roaster. Which is how Roast Proud Roast profiles impact flavor and perception of quality. So for example, the roaster of any roastery, mm-hmm. Will be making sure that the profiles stupidly impact their flavor and their [00:17:00] perception of the quality.

Meaning that if I buy coffee from someone from my shop, I know or should will hope to know that the roaster's profiles right. Essentially be making that coffee so good. So there's a reason why the coffee's so good. There's a reason why that coffee tastes a ru boss tea. So, so the profile is like the taste notes, the profile is how, basically, in a nutshell, it's, it's what's, it's what's, um, inputted into a computer.

To the roaster. Right. Okay. Like a graph. To create these flavors through the roaster machine to then what we get in a back. So it's kinda like their little DNA? Yeah, it's like a DNA. It's a D. That's a great way of saying it's like a DNA of that coffee. Okay. So if the roaster's got a good profile and that they're understanding how to get flavors out of the coffee, that's when you can say, these guys are specialty coffee.

They're not just doing one type of coffee. They're like, their profiles are [00:18:00] on point. They're producing some great coffees from their roastery. And normally like, 'cause you know, another highlight to scenery at the minute, they're amazed, I dunno what they're doing, but some of their coffee's like crack.

It's, it's absolutely, every single coffee I have is just phenomenal. The flavors are on point. Um, yeah, so I think, you know, them guys have had a lot of history, so there's a reason why they're good. Um, so yeah, that's that. And then another really good point to how you can say, I'm a specialty coffee shop.

The barista's role. Yeah. So let's take it back a notch. George's first day in swig, what was your reaction? You want my honest reaction? Yeah. Uh, no, actually it was, um, well it is the reason I kept coming back, it was like, well, who was the barista? You right. And you were charming. It was nice. You were wonderful.

Yeah. The coffee was beautiful. Um, and it has been very [00:19:00] consistent ever since. Well, I. That's probably all the main points of why you can say your specialty. So for example, you come into Swic, you look at the craft of a, so when I go to coffee shops to do research and when you compare it to chains mm-hmm.

Look at the craft. What's going on, what, what machine are they using? Is the person taking care and they're talking through the coffee with you, explaining what they've got on the technique. You know, are you getting, can you see the person's really honing on what they're doing? And not all the time, but for example, a, a presentation of latte art or presentation of milk steaming, should I say.

'cause latte art doesn't always have to be, uh, present because you can get a flat white with no latte art that does taste as good as one with a tulip on it. Yeah, right. But it's a presentation of the person creating the coffee for you. And also the customer experience. If you go into a specialty coffee shop, have you had a great experience?

Have you walked out of [00:20:00] there learning a little bit more about the coffee you just drank? Most of the time in specialty coffee shops, you do because without you knowing, you've looked at the board, you've looked at where the coffee's from, where you're buying it, what tasting notes it is. You've watched the person make it.

You've watched the person do their craft and experience to then deliver the coffee to you. By hand most of the time. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. If you go to Costa or Starbucks, you don't really know any of that. No. You just order it. You order it and it appears. Hi George. It's George for George Flat White. Yeah.

Oh, thanks. Yeah, you walk off. That's it. That's the difference. So that's that. Um, and what else was I gonna say? Um. That's quite a good one. Yeah. So for example, I had a customer today, I can't remember his name for bad. Uh, he comes in a lot Anyway, his partner buys him retail bag quite often, but he comes in and only ever asks for guest.

Oh, okay. Only guest, um, on a long [00:21:00] black. Or if he changes his mind, he gets a flat white. If he, for example, at the moment, this Blackberry copeman I've got on it taste a blackberry crumble. Mm-hmm. So in a flat white, that's what he had today. Then he had a hand brew. Now he asked me a lot of questions on.

What am I gonna taste in this? What experience am I gonna get? I tell him that, but I don't give it, I don't give people too much information. 'cause I want 'em to figure out themselves and tell me. And that makes me realize that I've done my job. Correct, yeah. By the flavors that they've just experienced.

Also, sustainability. What, where am I buying my coffee from? Do I have a good relationship with that roaster? Are they local? You know, shout to all the, the UK roasters. Um, I'm not saying that anywhere, not in the UK is bad. Um, 'cause I do love, you know, some great coffee from all over the world. But, you know, I.

Is your, is your sustainability and your like, sort of, um, ethics in your own shop? Are you [00:22:00] looking after them? You know, right. Yeah. Yeah. Are you buying locally? Are you sourcing locally? Do you know the roasters? Do you speak to them on a, on a, that's big for me and people do notice it. I am noticing it. Like, you know, the guys from Scenery, we chat on WhatsApp, the guys from Kickback, I hang out with them.

You know, the guys at Dark Arts, uh, they're recent friends of mine, but they're. Also great people who talk to you on a, on a, on a friendship basis. Casper Atkinsons, he's a good friend of mine. Just in general. Yeah. These are all connections. That creates a customer experience of when you mention Oh yeah, yeah.

You know, someone's web sample, someone comes up to resell, she from buy scenery. I can probably tell them what the roaster has done to that coffee, because you just told me last week on a message. Right. So it's that. It's, it's that. It's that sense of like, it's like being in a boutique rather than just going to Primark, which makes it specially, right.

Okay. Yeah. It's like almost gonna buy a pair of shoes from Primark and then gonna buy Gucci. [00:23:00] Mm-hmm. Your Gucci ones, you're gonna get told where the leather's from, where the bottles are made. What factories well know now. 'cause most of 'em lie and they're made all over the show, but getting point, right?

Yeah. You know, like, it, it, it is that, it's that sense of, it's like a, well what I'm getting from this straight away is someone having worked in the sort of hotel area, it's like when you get your star rate in and it's like there's this set criteria that. You have to meet in order to get four stars, five stars, and yeah.

So I'm getting that vibe from it. The question I do have though, going back to it about like sustainability, um, how, so how, to what extent is that? So should it be that if I said to the, like, I want this coffee and I'm wondering, or I'm gonna buy scenery, coffee, and I want to know like. What the carbon footprint of that, is that what you mean by sustainability?

Or is it sustainability on the, like the farms or the, the plantations where the, [00:24:00] I think it can be all them areas, to be honest. Right. Okay. Um, yeah, it can stem back from the farm. That's where it come from. Farm to cup, right? Yeah. Yeah. But in the roastery, yeah. You, you can find out quite easily what they're doing.

You just go on the website and look at what they've been doing and how they do things. They're open. That's what specialty coffee is. Transparent, high quality, very high graded, great craftsmanship, transparency through the coffee, no lies. Mm-hmm. No hidden agendas. That's what makes it special. Um, yeah, so, no, so let's, let's unpack that a bit.

No hidden agendas in terms of what I don't know. So, oh, this coffee is gonna taste of. This coffee is called X, y, Z. Mm-hmm. A punchy name. This coffee is gonna taste of cranberries, oranges, and nan's [00:25:00] Banana peel. Yeah. Right. Okay. The packaging looks mint. Yep. But the coffee tastes shit. Okay. Doesn't taste anything like that.

Okay, so it's, that's made up. I made that up. Yeah, I know. Okay. But I get your drift that it's, yeah. Actually, if it says that it tastes like your nan's banana's peel, it's gonna taste like your nan's banana peel. Yeah. For example, uh, another highlighter, another coffee shop, which, so everyone should try, uh, for coffee on Dean's Gate in Manchester.

Uh, Josh is roasting his own coffee now. He had a coffee. It wasn't for me, by the way, Josh, but, you know, due respect to you, bro. 'cause it was cool. Uh, he had a balsamic vinegar coffee. A what? Balsamic vinegar coffee. Right. Oh, okay. It tasted of that. Pretty much wasn't, it wasn't great for me. If you're into it, you're into it.

So is that like a ferment? I don't actually remember what it was. I, I think it was, man, I don't, I don't know. I can't remember what it was. [00:26:00] And that's so asking, but for example, uh, that is very transparent. You know, that's no hidden, hidden agenda. This, this coffee taste of what it says. And is that including then also like how they've got to that?

So like if they've Yeah. How they've got that point? Yeah. Or yeah, how they've got to the point of like the profiles, ingredients, the roast style, et cetera, et cetera. There's no hidden parts in it, you know what I mean? Um, fun, fun question. Go on. If Swig was gonna. Do their own roasting. Yeah. And you're gonna make a specialty coffee like that.

Right? What flavor would you make? Well, you don't make just one. No. But if you had to, if like I'm asking you, what's your, what's this immediately would you think would be called? Um, I love, I love funky coffees. What's not out there? Not like, not like two funky like alite vinegar. Bless. Okay. You know, bless 'em.

But that's not for me. No, not bless 'em. 'cause they absolutely smash it and they're one of the biggest coffee shops in the city. But. Uh, not that wacky, funky as in like, um, [00:27:00] ferments, anoxic, naturals. Um, and let's go back to that word. A what? So like, all, all these are processes of coffee, of how to, uh, get to that.

Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So like, how, how they're is the process of, so like the process of, of a wash coffee or a natural coffee or a, a thermal shock. It's how the coffee's basically been roasted, right? Um, I don't know what I do. You know, we know all that. Personally for me, I, I like a natural Ethiopian coffee, which if you're a coffee lover, that's just literally draw back to day one of when special coffee started getting big.

That was what you got. Okay. So it like origin, just like basic, it was just not basic, but it was just. Coffee. Coffee. Yeah. That tastes good and was great, but I'm gonna press you on it now. I want, I want a flavor. What flavor comes, what, what would you, um, at the minute for me Peach. Peach is big nectarines.

Peach. Peach. Um, yeah. I love that sort of flavor [00:28:00] profiles in coffees. Um, but I also love Yeah. You know, yeah, yeah. Yes. Yeah. Orange fruits. Okay. Yeah. I like orange fruit, sort of like, yeah. Citrusy. Orangey, yeah. Yeah. Orange mangoes, peaches, bit of lemon grass here and there. Uh, yeah. I, I love a chy in there now and again, it's funny 'cause my, if you, I, do you know what I would do?

What's that? A cosmopolitan. You don't like the cocktail? Well, actually that sort of, kind of similar guys, guys, guys, guys. We're actually gonna get George when he next comes in to try. Oh, I've got from two Brothers Coffee. Shout out to them. Um, a Pina Colada up there on the shelf. I was gonna sing the song then, which is a be Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

And drink from two Brothers. Yeah. Um, we've got a a, a Peach and Coconut. Co fermented coffee, which is a [00:29:00] pina colada. Ooh. And it does taste pretty like a pina colada, to be fair. It's pretty good. So you can try it. I'm, I'm down for that. Okay. Yeah. So that, that's what I'll probably do. I probably make some funky coffees.

People seem to love that in swig. Uh, the experimental coffees that I do, the filter, a coffee through espresso. Um, more morbid funky flavors, which then, you know. It'll, it'll transform in the cup to a certain type of thing. For example, the blackberry in a fat white tastes like a crumble, you know, that sort of thing.

Um. Which is, or you know, like an apple coffee will taste of sweets or the strawberry taste of strawberry laces, sweets, et cetera. Because we, we obviously tried the Yeah. Apple one that time, which you weren't a fan of. I had quite the reaction to it. Um, but actually no, that's allowed because, because obviously the gentleman when I came in today was drinking it and I did think back and I thought actually the first initial shock Yeah.

Was a lot. But then actually it, it did pleasantly sort of. [00:30:00] Mellow out. Yeah. On my taste buds. Nice. Um, yeah, so that's basically like in a nutshell what specialty coffee is. Okay. Um, you know, just so yeah. To like, go back on it. So it's like, you know, making sure that like it's this direct trade. So that sourcing from, uh, direct producers, uh, cutting out a middleman.

Um, so like, you know, you see a lot of coffee shops and they go, we roast our own coffee. They don't, there's someone in the middle, they don't know what's going on, a wine label, there's a sticker on it, et cetera, which, you know, each their own. But that's not what we do in the specialty scene, uh, which just ensures better prices for the farmers to get the most money, helping them out.

Uh, higher quality for coffee shops, and like I said, more transparency on what we're selling, what we're doing, why we're selling it, why we're talking about it. Why have we got it on our shelf? Why do we love it? Why does it taste so good, et cetera. Um. And yeah. Um, for example, if you [00:31:00] wanna know what I've been doing in here, which makes me choose coffee, I get a lot of samples from coffee shops and coffee roast, not shops, sorry, coffee roasters.

And, uh, I'll cup 'em. So, and don't always do, I don't always do, do a traditional cupping. I did a cupping the other day with Casper for Atkinson's, where we tried a cup, a lot of coffees that he's gonna buy in for Atkinson's. And basically you try the coffee in the raws form, it's a filter, uh, course grind, and then you put the coffee in a cupping cup, right?

With hot water on top. You just let it rise. You wait, you, you skin the top. Mm-hmm. Uh, I can't remember the actual word for it now. Um. Anyway, basically you, you take off the top of, of, of the, the, the top layer of the coffee, like the foamy bit, okay? And then you use cupping spoons. And basically this is where the, where the word slurp fest comes from, from for the festival is you get a little bit of coffee and you slurp it into, it hits the back of your, your, uh, back of your throat and goes all around your, your glands in your [00:32:00] mouth to get the best flavor from that drink, from that coffee, which then allows you to try the coffee in the rawest form to understand.

How good the coffee is. And that's where roasters will then buy coffee from cupping. So they'll get coffees in green coffee. They'll roast it, they cup it, and then some of the best coffee shops will also be involved in the cupping stages. Okay. So then whatever we buy, we get to try it. Now, I don't always get to do that.

So what I do is I'll get samples off coffee places. Yeah. And I will. Do a similar thing but not cupping. I'll just basically try 'em all on hand brew. So I'll just use filter coffee and I try them all through filter coffee and that will make me go, wow, that's a great coffee. Wow, that's not a great coffee.

I. I can do this with that coffee. I could make that strawberry coffee taste like a petti, fallough yogurt, et cetera. And then I work from there. There's a lot of work that goes into how, how I sell [00:33:00] coffee. It's not just I buy it and I put it on the shelf or on a machine. I do think about what I'm doing.

Yeah, absolutely. Which makes it specially. Um, so that's, that's that. And just as a, a rating then, um, does the rating include, so like has swig been rated or has it become a. Does it become a specialty coffee shop because you are then stocking the people who've been rated? Yeah. So I mean, from the get go, I guess, yeah.

In the coffee van I was selling specialty coffee. Right. Um, so you've been specialty since day one then? Yeah. From day of specialty, I was a specialty coffee van, but I've probably become a little bit more. Specialty than I was because I'm stocking a lot more coffee here and I can do a lot more things.

Yeah, absolutely. Um, and I don't, I don't necessarily have to say I'm a specialty coffee shop. You can just come. I think that's why you're starting to grow a little bit more. 'cause people are like realizing like, oh, it's a proper specialty coffee shop. You know, he sells retail specialty coffee. Yeah. He's got loads of different coffees on, he's [00:34:00] bruising different methods, not just espresso based through the coffee machine.

And, you know, also I'm, I'm having fun. I'm, I'm trying new things. I'm learning as I go along. Stuff I didn't know existed. Different coffees, different, you know, different varietals of coffees, lo loads of different things I'm always learning and trying and experimenting with, which makes it specially, um, which is great.

And yeah, I go to a lot of cuppings, a lot of events. I try a lot of coffee. Uh, but yeah, I wouldn't necessarily like, like that you get a rating. I just think it just becomes known that that place is a specialty coffee shop. Yeah, absolutely. Um, so yeah, people will now start clocking, ah, that place is not just a coffee shop that sells buddies.

It's a coffee shop that cares, knows what they're doing. They're trying their best to make sure that every single customer is having the greatest time with the greatest cup of coffee. With a lot of care, a lot of thought, a lot of money spent [00:35:00] on coffee that I probably shouldn't buy, but you know, I won't be able to drink the best off.

Um, and yeah, paired them with great cakes and sandwiches. That's essentially in a nutshell what I think especially coffee shop should be. And I feel like it's especially is Absolutely as a, a place to come to as a customer. That's what you offer for sure. That's like. You. That's a selling point. Yeah, absolutely.

And now, especially with the selection of cakes and the sandwiches that just add to that, you know? Yeah. The experience. 'cause now you can come, you can have a coffee, you can have a cake, you can have a sandwich. You can enjoy it. You can take it in, you can chat to me. Which I also think is a big, big thing for me in independent specialty coffee shops.

The connection with the coffee person. Like they, that guy today literally told me that. Mentioned he goes to some coffee shops in this city that he doesn't feel the vibe from. Mm-hmm. And he doesn't, he thinks the coffee's amazing, [00:36:00] but he doesn't choose to go there to kind of hang out and have a good time because you don't have that option.

Um, which is what was massively important for me, was to still realize that I'm in Stratford, we're in Manchester, we're still around mans, we're still around. People that might not understand. Um, we need, I need to create a space that's like homely, comfortable, fun. There's music, there's art on the walls, there's color, there's, you know, there's toys for the kids, there's lights, there's things going on.

There's me being daft and loud. There's staff are not boring. You know, there's loads retail, there's merch. There's great coffee, there's good food, there's, you know what I mean? It's all simple. The measled sand. Yeah. It's all simple. But, but to, to, to master the best of coffee shops for me, I'm not a master at all.

I've got a long way to go and who knows what I can create in 10 years. But for my first coffee shop, I'm pretty happy [00:37:00] with the way it's going in terms of I've created a specialty coffee shop. There you go. Well, thanks for listening. Na joke. No, I think that's like, I'm no guru, but I love coffee and if you know what you're doing, it is not that difficult, in my opinion, to learn, execute, and learn.

Yeah, yeah. If you're willing to learn and teach others, I feel like I've learned a lot, um, yeah. In that short amount of time, so thank you. I'm, I'm sort of, I'm now prepared. Any questions? No, I was kind of asking questions as we went.

I think the, I get it. It's like that sense of, it's all of those things from the efficacy of it to the. You know, from, from picking it, from, from the farm in, in, like you said, Brazil or Columbia or wherever, to the cup and the process of that and the roasters and, and like I said, the involvement of, of that crafting calf in the roastery in the shop.

It's everything. And like I said, it's, it's basically the five star [00:38:00] rating that you get. When you're a hotel and Exactly, and it's, it's, yeah. I mean, again, it just goes to prove that it's not just, you're not just buying like a cappuccino, you're actually buying a whole industry. Correct. I've explained it Well then, yeah.

Oh yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. So, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. In a nutshell, you are buying an industry. You have just been delivered a a cup of coffee that is way more than just that cup of coffee. But listen, if you wanna drink a cup of coffee in my shop and not care, that's fine by me. 'cause that's what we're here to do.

We're we are the ones here that are thinking about it all to meet you. Have a good time. Yeah. And even if you are coming to this specialty coffee shop, because you know we're doing all of that, we appreciate it. We don't need you to know everything. All we need you to know that we want you to know is I'm gonna go to that coffee shop because they're independent, they care.

It's sourced well. I'm gonna put my money in that cup of coffee and it's gonna be good. That's it. Yeah. Well more [00:39:00] don't cry anyone, you know. No more notes. Um, don't cry anyone. It's all, you know, it's all a bit emotional up here. Oh God. Yeah. Also, sorry, last thing I was gonna say I forgot about before was, um, we swig have got our first proper big, big, big Stratford.

I won't say it's big, big, big. I don't really know what it's gonna be like to be honest, but, um. The art battle Manchester. Oh. Which is quite a big thing. Um, the last one had a thousand people there. Basically 10 artists on a podium stand in a circle, um, and basically have 30 minutes to produce a piece of art to then win.

And we are hosting the on our own stall. Um, sandwiches, Sandoz Fando, New York style cookie, which also bangs there as well. Um, Maisie's, uh, creation and coffee and also some. Alcoholic cocktails. Binos. Binos. Oh yes. All espresso based. So if you're [00:40:00] around Stratford man, come through oh 1 6 1. Big up Stratford St.

Redford to the world. Shout all to the coffee shops in Manchester. I love you all. I'll name a few, uh, oscillate Sip Cap Coffee atrium. Shop just between friends. Uh, I, when even shout King and m uh, who was gonna shout out? Oh, flipping all going out my head. Oh, I'll tell who I, uh, Fred's. Fred's. Yeah, Fred's the food Gaff.

Yeah. It's, it's more of a restaurant, but the coffee there is actually really good. Yeah. Fred? Because Fred cares, you know, you know his stuff. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, Fred's you got, who else? We got? Uh, we got Arista, proto AP in, um, Kos. You got Capello. Shout to them guys. Uh, they're in Kos as well. Uh, who also I wanna shout out and he shout out more.

Ancoats Coffee Pollen, uh, federal, uh, PKB. Uh oh my days. There's so many. I could shout with so many. Ros as well. I can't think of any coffee [00:41:00] on my head. Starbucks, thank you so much. No, I just joke. No, well, actually, to be fair, do you know what, if we're gonna go, I, for me, it's always prep. Yeah, well, the, the wraps are good.

The food in, in, if you're gonna go, yeah, if you're going chain, then I'm like, crap. Um, there's a lot more places, but Yeah. Um, yeah, there's, there's, there's, uh, oh, my, there, there's so many, uh, two brothers in Ultra game. Shout to them. They're great. They're, they're warton based, uh, grocery, coffee shop with there.

Great as well. And he shout out more now. Said it because I can't think of, I can't leave anyone out. Uh, bland. Shout out to them. I was a pot washer in there. I don't think we've got time. I'm gonna, I'm gonna shout out some more, uh, Murrow in, uh, heater more, uh, even to Chester. Shout out to Nuance. Yeah.

Jake's a top guy. Sail Moon in sail more, uh, flipping at Kickback coffee, altering him and sale more. Can't, I can't think of anymore. There's so many grapefruit in sale. On my days. There's so many goats, I think. I think [00:42:00] of the city. I think Take a breath. Shout out to swig. Yeah, swig. You know, I feel like there's that, you know, that SpongeBob me when it's like, yeah.

10 minutes later. 10 minutes later, you're still going. Maybe we should do that in this. Um, but yeah. Uh, I want to give two highlight. I wanna give highlights every time, but my two highlights, this podcast for me at the moment, um, are, um, oscillate Coffee. Mm-hmm. I go there a lot and Atrium, because the guy who owns Atrium has helped me a lot, understand a lot more about coffee business, um, making money in different ways of coffee.

I didn't understand he could do and. His growth in the city is massive and his next moves are gonna be amazing. So keeping out on Atrium Coffee if you've not been great experience. His baristas are absolutely elite. It's a bit more of an experienced coffee than you would get in here 'cause it's a bit more of a, you know, this is a coffee shop space vibe.

Yeah. With kids toys. Atrium's more like on the elitist level. But yeah, go check it out. Go support him. He's mint. [00:43:00] He flipping sells a lot of coffee, so you might have to wait in the queue, but he's worth it anyway. Yeah. Nice one. Peace out. Well, before we go, 10 minutes later, before we go, last thing we've gotta, I think just talk about is potentially a new way of doing the show.

'cause at the moment we are doing it week to week and it's a lot of pressure on you mainly because obviously like your week to week is very different. So some Tuesdays we try to, we try to record on an evening. Mm-hmm. But it's like sometimes if you are really busy. It's very hard. So we are thinking potentially about doing like, and ironically it'd be like a batch recording, which I feel like Sounds batch bro.

Yeah, it's like batch bro. Um, but we're thinking of like recording like a bulk so that we have them ready. Um, but I think we should do a little call out for people to send in a. Something that, like today we talked about specialty coffee. Specialty coffee. That's really hard to say. Specialty coffee.[00:44:00]

Specialty coffee. I, I've got one, right? 'cause it's been about specialty coffee. A little bit of a sort of this load to talk about about it, you know, and these places that do things differently. But 'cause of that And on that, if you listen to this podcast, yeah. I've got a challenge for you. Well, you, we have to because we still haven't had anyone from the last challenge, you know, which was.

The cakes that you, well, there was two. There was the Costa one. Oh yeah. But I think that that's gone. That's like, there's been enough time elapse, but this, has anyone asked you about the, um, one person, the cakes, one person? Did someone actually ask you about what, one person, what were they called? Remind me the name.

Marconis. Alcon. But it was Ricardo who's works for Kickback. So he's not allowed. It's like a cheat code him, isn't it? Well, I, I think we should uphold it. I, we need to buy some, right? I'm gonna buy some this week and you guys can come and try it. If you're listening, come back one, just say. Um, I've got a code word.

I have a code word balcon. Right. Your on is a balcon. Next one for this week's [00:45:00] one is go try and another coffee shop. Mm-hmm. Some of the ones I just mentioned. Rewind and listen to all the ones I just mentioned. Uh oh, oh, also, sorry. Co beans. Something more products. No, stop. Stop Ari. So many, so many. Anyway, uh, yeah.

Go to one of them, check 'em out. Try a coffee and report back. Come and tell us what you think. Tell us what your experience of that specialty coffee was. Why do you think that coffee shop was specialty? Did you mention cap coffee? Yeah. Oh, cool. Good. Okay. Of course I did pick up Cane Charlton, uh, legend. Um, yeah, so, and we on Stratford, but you trade in Charlton anyway, uh, yeah, go try some places out and report back to us on online or whatever, uh, about why you thought that that place was specialty.

Do you think it's specialty? Why do you think it's specialty? What do you love about it? What it's selling? How? Go to the coffee. Should we go there and flip in Raid and do a podcast on them because we've just been highlighted [00:46:00] how good they are. Shout out to Kobe. Shout out to, no, I just joking. Um, yeah, uh, yeah.

Anyway, yeah, go, go try some places and, uh, yeah, report back. I like this. I'm, I'm, I'm looking forward to people's responses. Um, but yeah, also just send us anything that you might want to hear from us or like, if there's anything that you think that we could cover, um, or you wanna learn, maybe you're a bit like myself and you have no idea about the world of coffee, then let us know.

Um, it's a worm, so be careful. A what? It's a wormhole. Oh. So be careful. Well, you can go deep. Well, that's why, this is why this is good. 'cause it means there's gonna be an infinite amount of episodes. Well, yeah, that's, if that's if a flipping turn up, turn up on the deck. Well, this is, but this is the thing. I think we should, we haven't had an official like launch party.

Oh no. I'm like DD launch party active. Yeah. I think we should have a little like [00:47:00] launch party like dj, dj, DJ. Who's DJing? Mr. Scruff? Someone. Come on guys. You around there. Listen. Get onto it. Rough. He listens, I think. Rough dog. If you are listening, rainy art mate. Are you sponsoring or not? Are you getting down there mixing up some madness?

Ah, um, yeah, if you, even if you are local. Anyway, we could, we could just been some tune if no one's available and it's cool. We just, you know, we just rock out. Just me and you. Yeah guys, you've got a party, but it's only us two. Just watch us through the window. Um, because the thing now you're talking about like cocktails and I'm thinking Yeah, like espresso martinis.

Right. Let, let's sort one out. Let's sort one out. Yeah, we do. Let's do it. Okay. Right. Let's wrap up Pate. Um, thanks guys for listening. Again, if you listened, uh, yeah, if you know what bonus points, someone can get a flipping free drink off me. If you can name all them shops I just mentioned, like what I did, like you gotta come in and just reel 'em off.

Rapid fire, [00:48:00] just like. Uh, kiosk. No, we don't, we don't need to recap. Okay. Yeah. Anyway. Yeah. Shout out to all them. Neighborhood as well, by the way. Yeah. Sorry. Um, yeah. Thanks people. Thanks for listening and we'll see you next time. Goodbye. Bye.

This episode of Double Espresso was produced by Common Arts.