Arabica and Robusta simply refer to the species of coffee tree. Coffee Arabica is believed to be the first species of coffee to be cultivated, being grown in southwest Arabia for well over 1000 years. The Arabica trees are difficult to cultivate and each tree can produce anywhere from 0.5–5 kg of dried beans per year, depending on the trees individual character and the climate that season.

It takes 225 – 275 kg of coffee beans to create about a 45 kg bag of green coffee. Though commonly called a “berry”, the fruit is a drupe 10 –15m min diameter, maturing bright red to purple and typically containing two seeds (the coffee ‘bean’). Sometimes a third seed or one seed, a pea-berry is produced in the fruits at tips of the branches. These beans are the most sought-after because they come from a coffee cherry producing only one coffee bean (all other types of coffee cherry produce two beans). Pea-berries are round in shape, as opposed to the usual oval.  Arabica coffee beans taste sweet & tangy.

The Robusta trees are easier to grow and maintain, are more disease resistant and produce a higher yield. Typically grown at lower elevations Robusta beans contain more caffeine (30-40%) and are harsher and more astringent in flavour. This type of coffee is typically added to other beans to bulk up the coffee to achieve a lower price or to produce different tastes to the coffee you drink.

All coffee beans are graded. The AAA grading denotes the highest quality bean. The higher the grade of bean the more expensive the coffee is to produce and the more the consumer is guaranteed a better quality coffee. By blending different types of high quality beans from different regional areas various unique flavours can be achieved. All coffee beans used at Colin James Fine Foods are rated between A and AAA so you can be assured that the coffee you purchase at our store will be made from the highest and best quality beans available.

If you are a coffee Connoisseur then you probably like to experiment and enjoy the subtleties of a range of different blends and single origins each with their own endearing characteristics.

What’s the difference between a blend and single origin?

Single origin relates to the specific and singular characteristics of a bean. It includes the country of origin, the area it is grown in, the altitude of the coffee bushes and the coffee’s family history. Single origin coffees are unique, even to the point where beans from the same bush may vary from harvest to harvest. It is the job of the alchemist to hone his/her skills to find the point in the roast at which each single origin is at its peak flavour.

A blend is a combination of beans from various countries, altitudes and farms which is selected by the alchemist and roasted to give the  optimum characteristics from that blend.

At Colin James we are passionate about the coffee we supply. Andrew spends many hours training our baristas and researching new blends and single origin coffees so that he can provide our customers with an opportunity to expand their taste sensations. When you visit us, peruse the signs at our barista station to see the house blend and single origin on offer for the day. Our single origin blends are roasted by an award winning local roaster. When ordering your coffee, just let our staff-member know which blend you would like your coffee made on.

Our in house blends and single origin beans are available for purchase for home use. We now have a state of the art grinder which will grind your coffee perfectly every time for filters, plungers, percolators or home espresso machines. Just tell us the beans you require, the quantity and theblend andwewill do the rest. Purchasebeans in 250g, 500 g or 1 kg packs. Our friendly and dedicated baristas will assist you with information on aging your coffee and storing it.