Every week at The Roastery you’ll find a table scattered with small bowls, spoons and freshly ground coffee. It’s cupping day, and this ritual is how we decide which coffee makes it to your cup.
If you've ever wondered how we choose our beans or what happens before that bag of coffee appears on our shelves, let us take you behind the scenes of a slightly weird and wonderful process.
Cupping is how coffee professionals taste and evaluate beans.
Think of it as a wine tasting, but for coffee. We put coarsely ground coffee in bowls, add hot water at around 93°C, and let it steep for four minutes. A crust of grounds forms on top, which we break with a spoon releasing an incredible burst of aroma.
After skimming off the floating grounds, we slurp spoonfuls of coffee across our palates, evaluating everything from flavour and acidity to body and aftertaste.
It's both science and art. A standardised process that allows us to make fair comparisons. But it also requires a trained taste buds and a bit of passion for the craft.
The weekly ritual.
At the Hot Numbers cupping sessions, Jamie (who buys all our coffee), our head baristas and other team members gather around the table. Sometimes we invite customers to join us too – a golden ticket to experience the process first hand.
Samples arrive from our trusted suppliers with full information: farm name, altitude, processing method, varietal, even the farmer's details. But we label everything anonymously and deliberately don't look at the origin or price information during tasting. This blind approach prevents bias from creeping in. Only after we've discussed and agreed on the quality do we reveal what we've been drinking.
This matters because we're not just making decisions for ourselves. A group of us giving input means we're more likely to find coffees that genuinely connect with our customers, not just what one or two people prefer.
What we’re looking for.
During cupping, we’re trialling several key elements. Aroma might reveal floral, nutty or fruity notes. Acidity should be bright and crisp, not flat or harsh. Body can range from light like tea to heavy like syrup. Flavour notes could include berries, chocolate, citrus, or many more. And the aftertaste should be clean and pleasant, not lingering in a harsh way.
But taste is only part of the story. If a coffee passes our quality test, we then look at the commercial details. Does it fit our ethical sourcing standards? Is the price fair for both the farmer and our customers? Does it tell a story we want to share?
Testing beyond the bowl.
We don’t stop at traditional cupping. we also use our sample roaster to create different roast profiles: lighter, darker and middle ground. We’ll test them blind in the actual brewing method they'll be used for. If a coffee is destined to become espresso, we want to taste it as espresso.
One of Simon's favourite questions to ask The Roastery team is: When was the last time you significantly changed the recipe of what we do? Can it taste better?
It's this kind of challenge that keeps us from getting comfortable. We're constantly questioning our assumptions, testing our palates and pushing ourselves to improve what ends up in your cup.
An invitation to explore.
Cupping isn't just an internal quality control exercise for us. We've also created cupping sessions specifically for you. Whether you're curious about specialty coffee, want a unique experience with friends, or are looking to develop your team's palate, our expert roasters can guide you through a proper cupping session.
You'll learn to identify flavour notes, understand what makes different coffees unique, and discover what your palate gravitates towards. It's an engaging, hands-on way to deepen your appreciation for coffee.
Next time you pick up a bag of our coffee, know that multiple people have slurped it, discussed it, challenged it, and ultimately agreed it's worthy of the Hot Numbers name.
And if you're curious to experience cupping yourself, keep an eye out for announcements. We'd love to have you join us around the table for one of the most fascinating rituals in the coffee world.