There is something wonderfully simple about a cup of coffee.

A few minutes of brewing, a familiar aroma, the first sip. But behind that simplicity is a journey that begins long before coffee reaches a grinder, an espresso machine or your kitchen bench.

For International Coffee Day, we’re taking a closer look at where that journey begins, and how a small coffee cherry makes its way from flower to cup.

​​It all Starts with a Flower

Coffee begins its life as a flower on the coffee plant.

When the plant flowers, small white blossoms appear along its branches, often with a delicate fragrance. After flowering and pollination, the flowers eventually develop into coffee cherries.

It can take several months for these cherries to mature. As they ripen, they change colour, usually from green to a deep red, yellow or orange depending on the variety.

Inside each cherry are the seeds we know as coffee beans.

At this stage, coffee is still a long way from becoming the drink we know and love.

From Cherry to Green Bean

Once the cherries are ripe, they are harvested. Depending on the farm and region, coffee may be selectively hand-picked, with ripe cherries chosen individually, or harvested using alternative methods.

The cherries then need to be processed to remove the fruit surrounding the seeds.

There are several ways this can happen. Washed processing removes the fruit before the beans are dried, while natural processing allows the whole cherry to dry around the seed. Honey and other processing methods sit somewhere in between.

The processing method plays an important role in the final character of the coffee, influencing the flavours, aromas and sweetness that can eventually make their way into the cup.

Once processed and dried, the beans are sorted, graded and prepared for their journey beyond the farm.

They are now green coffee beans, ready to be roasted.

The Craft of Roasting   

This is where we come in.

As roasters, we take green coffee beans and carefully roast it to develop the flavours already present within the bean.

Every coffee is different. Origin, variety, growing conditions and processing all contribute to how a coffee tastes, so roasting is about understanding the character of each lot and bringing out what makes it distinctive.

For us, this is one of the most important parts of the journey.

The goal isn’t to make every coffee taste the same. It’s about respecting what makes each coffee unique and finding the roast profile that allows those qualities to shine.

Once roasted, the beans are rested, packed and prepared for their next step.

From our Roastery to your Cup

Eventually, that coffee makes its way to you.

It might be ground and brewed at home, extracted through an espresso machine at your favourite café, or enjoyed as part of a slower morning ritual.

And this is where the journey comes full circle.

What began as a small flower on a coffee plant has travelled through growing, harvesting, processing, drying, sorting and roasting before becoming the coffee in front of you.

It’s easy to overlook how much goes into something we drink every day.

Every Sip Tells a Story

We think that’s part of what makes coffee so special.

The final result can be beautifully simple: beans, water and a little time. But behind those few ingredients is the dedicated work of farmers, producers, processors, roasters, baristas and everyone else who helps coffee make its way from origin to cup.

International Coffee Day is a great excuse to slow down and appreciate that journey.

To indulge in the aroma before the first sip. To take a moment with the flavours in the cup. And to appreciate the craft and care behind the coffee we drink every day.

Explore Specialty Coffee

If you’re looking to slow down and explore something a little different, our Single Origin and Micro Batch ranges are a great place to start.

Each one offers a chance to experience the distinctive character of a particular coffee, from its origin and variety through to the way it has been roasted and brewed.

Take your time, try something new and enjoy the journey from flower to cup.

Explore Here