coffee beans UK Archives - Buy Coffee Beans & Ingredients Online UK Wholesale

Why it’s so hard to give up sugar in your coffee

Posted on June 20, 2019 by Sara Walker

If you’re thinking of getting fitter for summer, one of the lifestyle changes you may have considered is giving up sugar in your coffee. It’s one of those things that sounds simple but is surprisingly difficult in practice – in fact, people who successfully manage to cut down sugar in other areas, such as eating cakes and biscuits, find they still can’t give up sugar in coffee. Now, research has shown just why this is.

The study, carried out at the University of York, has discovered that the sugar isn’t just addictive in its own right, it also changes the basic chemistry of the coffee to improve the taste. The research studied how the molecules of water, caffeine and sugar interact together to affect the final taste of the drink.

Coffee (and to a lesser extent, tea) contains caffeine, which can cause it to have a bitter taste, especially if over brewed or inexpertly prepared. When you add sugar, the molecules of caffeine group together reducing their overall surface area. In turn, this means they cause less reaction on the taste buds and reduces the impression of a bitterness.

The author of the study, Dr Shimizu, said: “It’s a bit like if you were asked to look for two one penny coins and they were both stuck together – they can be mistaken for just one.” He went on to say that the findings revealed just how complex the interaction of foods can be, and how science was helping us to understand it.

If you’re serious about trying to cut down on sugar, then the best ‘tried and tested’ method seems to be reducing the amount you take over about a week to give your taste buds a chance to adapt. In the meantime, stock up on everything coffee-related at our main website over at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk, where we’ve everything from beans…yes, to sugar!

Winter Blues and Nights as Dark as Coffee

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Sara Walker

If you live in the northern hemisphere the days are a lot shorter now, the nights longer, the air colder and Christmas cheer the thing to keep you awake and happy, apart from, of course, coffee. In the blistering cold and pitch black darkness you really do need a thing or two to keep you going. We have come up with various ideas for how to keep ourselves awake and happy during the day.

One of our fabulous ideas (if we may say so ourselves) is to combine the smell of gingerbread with coffee. Scent is a feel good factor and most people tend to wake up at the smell of fresh roasted coffee beans. Of course you need some light as well, so our recommendation is to get yourself a mighty nice gingerbread house, which you can put tea candles in. Next to it you keep a candle holder with coffee beans in it and a candle (be sure to watch this if you use a regular candle rather than a tea light, as the beans can catch fire when the candle get to the level of the beans!).

The other feel-good factor you need is of course fresh roasted coffee beans in your cup – in other words: a fresh cup of java. If you want to make it to taste like Christmas you can add some cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg (potentially a dash of cardamom too), as well as a little bit of honey or maple syrup.

To really perk you up in the darkness serve your coffee with some chocolate. You can either turn it into a Mocha, have a square of really good quality dark chocolate with it, or a slice of some dark chocolate cake. The darker the better for added antioxidants (fight the cold system!) and if you can find some cake that’s sweetened by honey, or maple syrup, rather than sugar. In the two coming posts we will teach share a raw chocolate recipe, and a chocolate cake that is sweetened in this way.

Apart from fresh roasted coffee beans and divine chocolate, what will keep you going through winter is plenty of rest, exercise, fruits, vegetables, walks in the outdoors, and some vitamins, like added vitamin D in lieu of sunshine.

If you want to buy coffee for your winter blues, you can buy coffee online through our shop. We offer great prices and great coffee (that in and of itself should cheer you up instantly!).

Designing your own coffee packaging

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Sara Walker

If you’re re-packaging your own coffee beans for sale, there are several aspects to consider when designing the packaging. In addition to your own design, company logo, product name and contact details, there are also practical and legal aspects.

The packaging should provide physical protection, keeping the product inside safe from any damage which might cause it to deteriorate. It should also keep out any external contaminants such as water, dust or oxygen, keeping the contents fresh and clean for the duration of the shelf life. It should provide a platform for clear, easy to read information about the contents of the packaging, and be secure enough to show any tampering. Packaging should also make the beans easy to store and transport.

Many coffee bean retailers choose soft plastic bags for packaging, which are a cost effective option and keep the contents fresh. In addition to the product and company information, the packaging needs to carry a sell by date, and to list any ingredients other than coffee beans. It should also provide clear storage instructions for the beans, both when the bag is unopened and after it’s been opened. The weight of the contents must also be clearly marked, and the country where the product was packed. You might also like to add recycling information, including any relevant symbols to help consumers.

Any packaging that you choose must be made from a product that’s approved for safe food contact, and if you’re designing your packaging from scratch for the first time, it’s a good idea to get it checked by an expert – the Food Standards Agency are a great source of information and advice.

If you’re looking for pre-packaged coffee beans at competitive prices, please take a look at the coffee beans page of our website – we’ve got a great range available to meet all trade and commercial needs.

What’s changed in the world of coffee?

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Sara Walker

If you’d walked into a coffee bar in the 1950s, what could you expect? Well, coffee bars as we know them today only started in 1952, when an Italian named Pino Riservato, who owned the British concession for the then brand-new Gaggia espresso machine, opened a bar called The Moka in Soho. The Moka was only supposed to be a short term venture, designed to show potential customers what the espresso machine could do in a commercial environment. However, it caught the mood of a generation, and by 1960 there were an estimated 500 coffee bars in the Greater London area alone, with the phenomenon spreading all over the country.

The majority of the bars were independent, and as they didn’t need an alcohol licence, they were able to stay open late serving food and coffee. They became a socially acceptable place for young people to gather, and often had jukeboxes. Many were run by amateurs with no catering experience, as the post-war economic crisis meant rents were low and outlay minimal, with the espresso machine being one of the most expensive investments at £150 – £400.

The coffee itself was of good quality, but monotonous by modern standards, as customers had the choice of espressos or Americanos. All the coffee bars also served food to some extent, as they relied on this to make a profit.

Fast forward to today, and what’s changed? Although coffee shops and bars are as popular as they ever were, they now serve a different need. The majority of UK bars are part of a chain rather than independent, but the variety of coffee drinks available has soared, from one to two to dozens. Now that both businesses and consumers can buy coffee beans online, the choice and quality of what’s available has never been greater.

To browse our full range of coffee beans, please visit our website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Where do the best coffee beans come from?

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Sara Walker

Our UK climate is suitable for growing a range of crops. In Britain, we’re particularly good at growing the hardier fruit and vegetable crops, such as apples, carrots and potatoes. One thing we’re never going to be able to grow very successfully on home soil, though, is coffee.

Coffee bushes grow best in subtropical regions that have distinctly separated wet and dry seasons, rather than a temperature climate such as the UK’s. There are two types of coffee bean, Arabica and Robusta, and each like slightly different growing conditions.

Arabica coffee beans

This variety is believed to have originated in Ethiopia, and grows best at altitudes of between 3,000 and 6,500 feet. For plants that grow in countries such as Mexico, Zimbabwe and Jamaica, where the rainy and dry seasons are separate, there’s one harvest of coffee beans a year. For equatorial counties – for example Columbia, Kenya and Ethiopia, the consistent rainfall allows two harvests a year.

Robusta coffee beans

Robusta coffee bushes yield more beans than Arabica, and the coffee is considered to be of a lower grade. The beans are often used to make instant coffee, or bulk out lower quality packs. It grows at lower altitudes (under 3,000 feet), and tends to be easier to farm, cheaper to grow and generally more hardy, as Robusta can tolerate warmer climates and is less susceptible to disease. The bulk of the world’s coffee is grown around the equator, with Robusta varieties being grown closest to the equator due to their greater heat tolerance.

It’s unlikely we’ll ever be able to replicate these growing conditions successfully enough in the UK to make homegrown coffee a commercial possibility, but online ordering has made it easier than every to buy fresh, exciting blends of coffee beans in the UK. To browse our wide range of varieties, please visit our website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Coffee in the UK

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Sara Walker

Traditionally, Brits are a nation of tea drinkers. In times of crisis, we stiffen our upper lips and reach for the kettle. These days, though, we’re just as likely to reach for the coffee beans as the tea bags.

According to 2008 figures from research group Allegra Strategies, Britain’s coffee culture generates an annual turnover of 2.5 billion pounds – and that’s just from coffee shops. Once you add on the sales of UK coffee beans and other coffee related equipment, it’s clear that coffee has become big business, and it’s knocked tea out of pole position to become the most popular hot drink in the country.

Most Brits favour the americano, or ‘normal’ coffee, with cappucinos topping the list of speciality coffee. Around two thirds of us take milk, and a third take sugar or some form of sweetener. The majority of British coffee is drunk in the morning, with many of us either abstaining or switching to decaffeinated after lunchtime.

Just as the preparation of the perfect cup of tea has always been a subject for controvosy – milk or tea first, bag or loose leaf, cup or mug – so we’re becoming more knowledgable about coffee, and what goes into making a delicious blend. When you’re out and about, you may always make the same order in a coffee shop, due to shortage of time or disinclination to pay a high price for something you may not enjoy. At home though, it’s worth browsing through the huge range available online to find your favourite at a great price, or try something completely new – many online retailers also supply smaller sample bags, or you could even try making up your own unique blend.

With a growing variety of coffee beans now available online in the UK, it’s never been easier for us Brits to sustain our coffee habit, and keep up the progress towards becoming a nation of coffee drinkers.