Ireland's charm cannot be denied with its vibrant culture, music, and stunning scenery. Yet, many tend to overlook the thriving coffee culture that has emerged in the country lately. With a steady rise in specialty coffee roasters in recent years that has sparked a renaissance in Ireland's coffee scene, this edition captures an exciting time in Ireland’s coffee journey.

(Dublin, Ireland)

Established in 2013 by Frank Kavanagh and Peter Sztal, Cloud Picker is a Dublin-based coffee roastery born from the fusion of design and a passion for great flavours. Their quest for unique coffee led them beyond traditional sources, with the name derived from a trip to a Thai coffee farm where they ascended through clouds to meet the pickers.

With a commitment for quality and to engaging with customers in a friendly manner, Cloud Picker prioritises both the meticulous bean selection and roasting process to ensure every cup reflects their dedication. They embrace exploration, seeking out new coffee territories to discover the best flavours, just like we do at The Right Roast! This is our first time working with Cloud Picker and are excited to include their amazing Gondo Peaberry.

(Dublin, Ireland)

Gary, inspired by the documentary film "Black Gold (2006)", left his financial services career to pursue the craft of coffee roasting, aiming for quality over quantity. Witnessing the injustices faced by coffee farmers fueled his commitment to ethical coffee sales.

The Dublin-based roastery, established in 2018, stands out for its unique approach to coffee. They source top-tier beans, including those used in award-winning blends, while maintaining a strong commitment to social sustainability by donating 2% of earnings to charity. Their staff is highly valued, with full-timers receiving above-average pay and a profit-sharing program. Our newly discovered roaster this month and we’re already really impressed with their coffee crafting skills!

Maputo was named after the city where Verena and Henry met for the first time when they were working for Doctors without Borders in Mozambique. It was soon after moving back to Ecuador that they started taking interest in growing coffee. In 2011 they began with their coffee venture and Maputo is now one of the best exponents of Specialty coffee in the country and their methodical approach to farming has earned them recognition in the national and international
market having won many prices in Taza Dorada and Cup of Excellence.

The farm is located on the western foothills of the Andes surrounded by protected cloud forests. Maputo uses a mechanic heat dryer to make sure the right humidity is reached before stabilisation due to the high rainfall.

(Galway, Ireland)

Calendar Coffee was founded in Galway in 2018 by a husband & wife team Daniel Boobier and Zarah Lawless. Inspired by their time at Workshop Coffee in London, they ventured into sourcing green coffee beans after realising the challenges faced by producers, particularly due to climate change and fluctuating prices. Calendar’s mission aims to revolutionise the coffee trade by ensuring fair compensation for coffee farmers through sustainable practices and paying prices reflecting the true cost of production.

Calendar Coffee also puts much effort in shaping through transparency and even educating people with their brand new podcast, to help inspire change in others to a brighter future in coffee for everyone. It’s long overdue but we are so happy to finally be working with Calendar!

The coffee was processed at the washing station owned and run by Alexis Gahizi and his son Aime.

The Rwanda harvesting season runs from March to August, and the best lots are usually selected from the May to July pickings. The farms are generally very small family-owned operations, and the family care for the plants and pick the cherries themselves. This coffee is a blend of cherries from multiple producers in the Karongi Region. Every year, hundreds of farmers from the local community deliver to Gitesi to process their crops, but competition can be pretty tough. Farmers can deliver to whichever washing station they choose, so it's important that the staff at Gitesi maintain good relationships with the producers and offer competitive prices for higher qualities.

(Mullingar, Ireland)

Bell Lane Coffee Roaster founded in 2012 is located in Mullingar, eastern Ireland. Head roaster and green buyer Niko Sunko joined Bell Lane in 2017 and has been revitalising the company since. Driven by quality, as manifested in their recent design transformation, Bell Lane create coffee that follow the seasons and their approach significantly bolsters financial stability for producers and communities, with a focus on impactful initiatives at the origin.

Recognized for their commitment to excellence, Bell Lane has earned twelve stars at the Great Taste Awards, alongside commendations at Blas Na H’Eireann and the Irish Cafe Quality Food Awards. It was difficult to pick one from all their tasty offering, but in the end the standout coffee for us was the washed pink bourbon.

Although many believe Pink Bourbon is a hybrid of red and yellow bourbon, this statement is far from true. Genetic tracing done in 2017 and 2023 confirmed that it has Ethiopian landtrace. This can be tasted as the floral profile does resemble the floral washed heirlooms and harvesting conditions and processing methods are very important to enhance its full potential.

Coffee Cherries are carefully selected as it’s not easy to identify the full ripe fruit in this variety. Then floated, washed and oxidized for 24 hours. Cherries are depulped and fermented with mucilage for 36 hours. A thermal shock is carried out by adding water at a temperature of 50-60℃. Drying is done for 8-15 days depending on the climate then stabilization follows for at least 2 weeks.