“Life’s too short for bad coffee.”
If, like me, your morning doesn’t officially begin until you’ve had a coffee, you’ll understand why I was rather excited when We Are Coffee Co got in touch to see if I’d like to try one of their coffee gift sets 😄
As a coffee lover who enjoys exploring different flavours and origins, I’m always up for trying something new. And when the gift set in question promises a little trip around the world in three bags of speciality coffee, well, it sounded right up my street.
Meet We Are Coffee Co: Glasgow’s Small-Batch Roasters
We Are Coffee Co is a small-batch coffee roastery based in Glasgow with a history dating back to 1975 (a roastery since 1975, We Are Coffee Co since 2023).
Specialising in single-origin speciality coffee with SCA scores of 84 and above, the roastery also offers exciting blends, flavoured coffees, subscriptions and gift sets. Their speciality coffees are roasted in small batches on a 30kg IMF roaster, using programmable roast profiles to help maintain consistency.
A Coffee Gift Set for the Curious Coffee Lover
We Are Coffee Co kindly sent me their Around the World Coffee Collection Series Gift Pack, priced at £25.99.
The set contains three 227g bags of small-batch roasted speciality coffee from Brazil, Ethiopia and Indonesia, all roasted in Glasgow and presented in a gift sleeve at no extra cost. You can also add a personalised gift message at checkout, which is a lovely touch if you’re buying for someone else.
There are three gift sets in the range, making them a great option for anyone who loves discovering new coffees. Personally, I think they’re a brilliant gift idea for coffee lovers, whether you’re shopping for a birthday, Christmas or simply someone who deserves a little pick-me-up (pun absolutely intended).
I love trying coffees from different origins because each one can offer something a little different in terms of flavour, aroma and character. So, having three different coffees to explore in one box felt like the perfect way to switch up my usual routine.
First Stop: Brazil!
Having visited Brazil earlier this year and enjoyed some fantastic coffee while I was there, I was naturally drawn to the Santa Hedwirges from Brazil first. And what a lovely cup it was! Bold, rich and full of character, with delicious dark chocolate notes that made it thoroughly enjoyable.
The Santa Hedwirges is a great example of how much personality a single-origin coffee can have, and it has certainly left me curious to explore the other two bags in the collection.
Next on my coffee world tour are Basha Bekele from Ethiopia, and Burni Telong from Indonesia. Three origins, three different approaches and plenty more coffee to enjoy. Not a bad way to start the day!
Behind the Beans: A Q&A with We Are Coffee Co
Of course, there’s more to a great cup of coffee than what ends up in your mug. I wanted to find out a little more about the team behind We Are Coffee Co, how they’ve seen the Glasgow coffee scene evolve and what goes into creating their speciality coffees.
I caught up with Martin Smith, Sales Director at We Are Coffee Co, to ask a few questions about the brand and its passion for coffee.
1. How has the Glasgow coffee scene and local palate evolved over the decades, and how has your approach adapted to these changes?
“Our roastery has been roasting since 1975, under a few different names, and we relaunched as We Are Coffee Co in 2023. We moved to Clydebank at the start of this year, so we’re still the new kids in Glasgow, but over those decades we’ve watched UK coffee change completely. People who once bought a jar of instant now talk about origins, processing and brew ratios. Glasgow has been at the front of that, with brilliant independent cafés and people who really care about what’s in their cup.
“For us that has meant roasting in smaller batches, being open about where every coffee comes from, and making speciality coffee easy to enjoy at home.”
2. Operating as a small-batch roastery, can you walk us through your approach to sourcing and roasting single origins like the ones in the Around the World set?
“We buy green coffee through specialist importers, choosing coffees for a clear sense of place. The Around the World set brings together three: Santa Hedwirges from Brazil, a natural pulped coffee with chocolate, plum and almond; Basha Bekele from Ethiopia, a natural process coffee; and Burni Telong from Indonesia, wet hulled in the traditional Sumatran way.
“We roast each one on its own profile to bring out its character rather than roasting everything the same way. The idea of the set is a little trip around the coffee world in three bags.”
3. You cover a diverse range with speciality single origins, flavoured coffees, blends and subscriptions. What is the most rewarding (or surprising) coffee profile your team has worked on recently?
“Our mushroom coffees. We develop coffees with lion’s mane and reishi for other brands, and getting the balance right, so it still tastes like a great cup of coffee, has been one of the most rewarding challenges we’ve taken on.”
4. For coffee lovers looking to elevate their morning brew at home, what is your top piece of advice for getting the absolute best out of speciality coffee?
“Buy whole beans and grind just before you brew. Ground coffee loses its aroma fast, so grinding fresh makes the single biggest difference. And the grinder matters as much as the beans: buy the best burr grinder you can afford. It gives an even grind, so the coffee extracts evenly and you taste what’s really in the bag, rather than a mix of bitter and sour.
“After that, weigh your coffee: around 60g per litre of water is a great starting point for a cafetière or filter, with water just off the boil.”
There you have it! If you’re looking to get more out of your coffee at home, freshly ground beans and a decent burr grinder are a good place to start. And weighing your coffee might sound a little overly precise for a sleepy morning, but if it means a better cup, I’m listening 👀.
I really like what We Are Coffee Co is all about. There’s something refreshing about a local Glasgow roastery with decades of experience that is passionate about good coffee while making it easy for people to explore different origins and flavours at home.
If you’ve got a coffee lover in your life (or fancy treating yourself, because why not?), I’d definitely recommend having a look at We Are Coffee Co’s gift sets. They’re a lovely way to discover new flavours, support a local roastery and bring a little taste of the world into your kitchen.
☕ Discover the gift sets, explore their coffees and find your next favourite brew at We Are Coffee Co: wearecoffeeco.com.
