Myself and my blogging missus Ruth were recently invited to a coffee lab hosted by the kind folks at Ground. I've mentioned this company before, having serendipitously stumbled upon them last year. As much as I like coffee, I have to admit I was a little naive to the actual journey from bean to blend to barista.



Our venue was the comfy surroundings of the Waterstones Belfast branch and our host for the evening was manager Michael. Michael gave us a brief background intro to himself, describing his past experience in independent coffee sales and hosting similar events for coffee aficionados before stepping back to the comparative security of the corporate coffee culture. This move did nothing to diminish his passion for the product and his wealth of knowledge was fascinating.

For example; did you know an espresso brews for exactly 22 seconds? I didn't.

flat white

in love with the rustic aeropress

snapped taking snaps

Michael also told us he had just returned from a trip to Honduras to meet the farmers who produce the beans that go into so many of the blends Ground offers, including their exclusive Purple Dragon blend. It's often the independent that will go this extra mile to know the origins and ethics of their products, something that's sometimes overlooked in larger companies.



Thanks again to the team at Ground for hosting us and for giving us such an enjoyable and informative evening. I am now trawling eBay for a coffee grinder, drip kettle and some new coffee cups!