Specialty coffee is coffee that scores 80 points or more out of 100 when graded by trained tasters, with almost no defects in the beans. But the score is only the start. What makes it specialty is the care taken at every step, from the farm to the cup in your hand.
Here's what that actually means.
It has to pass the test
Before coffee can be called specialty, it's graded twice.
First, the green (unroasted) beans are checked for defects such as insect damage, broken beans and unripe cherries. Specialty-grade coffee is allowed only a handful of minor faults in a sample.
Then it's tasted. Trained graders follow a set method developed by the Specialty Coffee Association, scoring sweetness, acidity, body, flavour, aftertaste and balance. Coffee that scores 80 or more counts as specialty. Most of the world's coffee doesn't make the cut.
It starts on the farm
Great coffee needs the right place to grow. Altitude, soil, rainfall and temperature all shape the flavour. Higher farms usually have cooler nights, which slow the cherries down as they ripen and build sweetness and complexity. That's why you'll often see the altitude printed on a specialty coffee bag.
The variety of plant matters too. Some, like Kenya's SL28, are prized for their flavour. Others are chosen because they resist disease or cope with heat.
Then there's picking. Coffee cherries on the same branch ripen at different times. For specialty coffee, farmers pick only the ripe ones, often by hand, going back over the same trees again and again.
Processing changes everything
Once picked, the coffee seed has to be separated from the cherry around it. How that's done has a huge effect on taste.
- Washed coffees have the fruit removed before drying. They taste clean and bright.
- Natural coffees are dried with the whole cherry intact. They taste fruitier and sweeter.
- Honey coffees sit somewhere in between, with some of the sticky fruit left on.
Some producers go further, with experiments like anaerobic fermentation, or co-fermenting coffee with fruit. Done well, these create flavours you won't find anywhere else.
You know where it comes from
Most supermarket coffee is blended from many farms and countries, and you'll never know which. Specialty coffee is traceable. You can usually find out the country, the region, the farm or cooperative, and often the name of the person who grew it.
That matters for flavour, because you know what you're getting. It also matters for the people behind it. Traceable coffee makes it easier to pay farmers fairly for quality, and to build relationships that last year after year.
Roasted to show it off
Commodity coffee is often roasted dark. That gives a consistent, smoky taste, but it also covers up the differences between coffees, including any faults.
Specialty roasters do the opposite. We roast each coffee to bring out what makes it different, whether that's the caramel in a Colombian or the cherry in a natural Ugandan. Every batch is tasted before it goes out.
Freshness matters too. Coffee is at its best in the weeks after roasting, which is why specialty bags show a roast date rather than just a best-before.
The last step is the barista
Even the best beans can be ruined in the cup. Grind size, water temperature, dose and timing all change the result. A skilled barista knows how to get the most out of every coffee.
That's why we train baristas ourselves. Through our Barista Training and Employment Programme, people experiencing homelessness learn the skills to make exceptional coffee, and get paid work at the end of it.
Is it worth paying more?
Specialty coffee costs more because every step takes more care, from hand-picking ripe cherries to tasting every roast. Farmers are paid more for quality, too.
What you get is coffee with real flavour: fruity, chocolatey, floral or spiced, depending on where it's from and how it's made. Once you've tasted the difference, it's hard to go back.
