Cool beans = Goodbeans

I am a coffee lover.  A caffeine addicted, slightly snobbish, traditionalist coffee lover pessimistic about even the most slightly innovative coffee related product.  When pod machines first came into the market I turned my nose up at them. The idea of being restricted to just the pods available for the coffee machine gave me the same resentful attitude as I have towards Apple tech products. But lo and behold, situated on my kitchen counter top, I’ve ended up with a bright red Nepresso machine to match my Smeg fridge.

So when a coffee company ask me to try their new product I kept an open mind and headed over to a Fitzrovia cafe to try one of their cold brews.   However as soon as I saw the word cold next to the word coffee it was hard not to let the doubts creep in.  ‘It’s not going to work’ and ‘coffee isn’t meant to be cold’ were my first thoughts.

Like most new age things that I try to resist, I couldn’t help but be eventually succumb to the refreshing delight of goodbean’s coffee brew.  The first sip of cold coffee felt alien.  Smooth and mellow with only a hint of acidity; it was utterly refreshing and moreish.  Soon, sips turned to gulps and before I knew it the whole thing was gone.

It’s not just the surprising taste that I like about the cold brew coffee but the fact that proper thought has been put into the type of coffee beans selected for the brew. It’s not just another cold coffee product made out of a generic and ambiguous bean sourced and labelled as just ‘Columbian’.  I was pleased to see that they change the source of their coffee according to what’s seasonal and available, meaning the taste of their brews varies throughout the year. I was even more pleased to see that one of their coffees was Ethiopian Yiragacheffe ; one of my favourite types of coffee which I usually get from my trusted Mr Coffee man from the Ethiopian Coffee Company.

Other than just the coffee, charity also seems to be at the heart of goodbeans, partnering with projects that make a difference in the community by donating a percentage of their hard earned profits.

After reading more about goodbeans I was curious and went to speak to the two ladies behind the cold brew, Rosa Escoda and Becky Neale.

So, tell us about yourselves, how did you meet?

Rosa: We met at school a long time ago! We both grew up in Cambridge and moved to London after graduating from university.

Becky: A. Rosa and I met at school In Cambridge and after university both moved to London

Why coffee? Are you both massive coffee drinkers?

Rosa: Yes! Coffee has always been part of our lives especially when we’ve shared moments with others. Luckily for us it’s a really exciting time to be in London as a coffee lover with incredible beans from all around the world. It’s such an interesting product, a real labour of love that takes time and effort to grow.

Becky: It’s hard not to be a massive coffee drinker with so many places to get a great one. London certainly tickles any coffee lover’s taste buds and there’s no going back once you start to try different coffee beans and the many ways to drink it.  Coffee has always played an important part in shared moments with family or friends and luckily the growing coffee culture means that wherever you are, whatever the occasion, it can be!

What was your inspiration and why cold coffee?  What would you say to skeptical coffee enthusiasts about your coffee?

Rosa: I love iced coffee, probably due to growing up in Gran Canaria where the heat made it more appealing. Once I tried cold brew there was no going back, it has just such a smooth finish unlike any coffee I’d had before. It’s exciting to be able to make something innovative and introduce people to a new experience. All I ask is for people to put aside their thoughts of how coffee ‘should’ be and simply let their taste buds enjoy the aroma and smoothness!

Becky: I have been amazed by the different notes discernible in cold brew coffee. The benefit of cold brew is that it is much less acidic uncovering all these additional layers of flavor. Hopefully if you’re a coffee enthusiast the promise of this would be enough to entice you, and I would ask people to try just so they can compare it to drinking a hot coffee made with a particular bean. Then the benefits of the cold brew process will speak for itself.

I really admire your sense of community and giving back, how do you pick your partnerships and why have you decided to do this?

Rosa: Once we decided to set up our own business, we knew we wanted to ensure it had a social impact. It’s integral to our model to help support smaller organisations who could benefit from reaching a wider audience. Ultimately, their work’s success is directly linked to public awareness of their work and their ability to engage with people who might then support their cause.

Becky: Ensuring our business has a social impact has been important from the very beginning. I have worked in partnership with small community organisations who provide incredible support and opportunities for people with few resources available. We will be choosing to work with organisations who are effectively reaching those most in need, who could benefit from us raising awareness about their work and who we could work with to provide employment opportunities.

Where do you see your product and yourselves in 5 years time?

Rosa: In five years time, I would love to see goodbeans as an established, recognised and loved brand. Our goal is to grow the business to eventually have a team and a space that allows for collaboration with other startups and community groups.

Becky: The cold brew coffee industry will be growing over the next five years and goodbeans will be at the centre of it. We’d love to have made a difference for the community organisations which we have chosen to support along the way and look towards running a community-based centre (or two!) providing free space for local services and groups to use.

Becky and Rosa are two smart, charitable and beautiful entrepreneurs, and I would say I’m more than just a little jealous.

Goodbeans for me is an excellent product with plenty of integrity which could really revolutionise the way we look at cold coffee- it certainly has for me.  It’s not just horrible coffee poured over crushed ice or served in cans, cold coffee can be delicious, sophisticated and well thought out and goodbeans has proved just that.

To try the cold brew you can pick up a bottle at your nearest shop.  Click here to find out more