LIBERTY COFFEE ONLINE SHOP

Nevertheless I have to continue my business in some format so have a browse through the selection of products we currently have on there.This is very much early days so feel free to give any customer feedback or contact me directly if you encounter any problems. Also, if there are any products that you might be interested in do give me a shout in the comments section below.

Top tip: Use the following code at the checkout for 10% off your first order!

OPENINGPARTY

We already had retail coffee & equipment up on the site but I’ve just added a range of Canton Tea (200g) and Kokoa Collection Chocolate Capsules (250g.) You can have any retail items shipped via Royal Mail (within the UK) or select the “Local Delivery” option if you live in Launceston. There is also a “Pick Up” option at the checkout where we will contact you directly to arrange a time to collect items directly from the shop.

The loose leaf tea will be weighed into grease proof bags, fancy jar not included unfortunately.

This site is going to pave the way for when we reopen for some trial days on

Friday 5th June & Saturday 6th June

I will add products on the Food Collection product selection to pre-order which you can pick up on your allotted day. Again select the “Pick Up” optional the checkout to do this. (At the time of writing this option isn’t available but will go live early next week.) Make sure you keep those dates in your diary as you’ll be able to come by and grab a takeaway coffee!

The post Retail therapy appeared first on Liberty Coffee, Launceston.

Hello friends, long time no speak. I’m just about re-emerging from this hiatus to update you all on our progress in reopening the shop in an exciting, new format. That sounds far too ambitious and enterprising but I have been able to bash some brain cells together to come up with a resemblance of a plan.

 

The shop has been closed since late March, after the initial shock subsided, I got some stressful admin shit done then settled down to living like a student again. I then embarked on a career in comedy utilising the heavily addictive Tiktok app. I even combined my new found fame to advertise local coffee bean deliveries to the good folk of Launceston.

 

It was a rather enjoyable process getting coffee out to people and whilst not being a massive money-spinner it did inspire me somewhat. Therefore I’ve attempted to create an online store as I like technology (despite technology not always liking me.) It will be relatively basic as I’m certainly no web developer but as long as you can navigate through it and buy things it will be a start.

 

Plans underway. I was kindly allowed to borrow an Apple Mac to start doing some work!

 

The shop will be pretty sparse at first, containing a fresh batch of retail coffee beans to purchase plus a few retail items we have hanging around. You can have these items delivered via Royal Mail or even select the Pick-Up option – I can meet you at the shop at an allotted time to pick up your items. (You can still select a Local Delivery option if you live in Launceston.)

My fingers and toes are firmly crossed but pending any tech dramas the online store should go live over the bank holiday weekend. This will set the groundwork for my the next stage of Project Re-opening (catchy title eh) when we will attempt some trial days where you can pre-order some food items for collection. I will have more information on this shorty, in the meantime…

 

Credit to CaffeineMag for this!

The post The long overdue update at Liberty Coffee appeared first on Liberty Coffee, Launceston.

We run a tight ship at Liberty with a small team working in the shop across the year. Once summer hits we can sometimes struggle with the change in pace.

Therefore we are sorry for the following…

• Not always welcoming on arrival.

• Struggling with a clear explanation of our coffee board.

• Asking you “what kind of coffee” you want when you just asked for a coffee.

• Being unable to serve you that cream tea that one afternoon when we were understaffed for the sixth time that summer.

• Letting you know there would be a ten minute weight when it would have probably been more like five.

• The endless array of dirty tables and stacks of stained ACME cups (RIP ACME).

• That goddamn awful decaf cappuccino I made.

• Not serving a Full English Breakfast.

• Not serving Cornish pasties.

• Not serving milkshakes, Coca-Cola or Marlboro Reds.

• Having the audacity to attempt selling cold brew in the South West of England.

• Not explaining clearly enough that we CAN grind for espresso but this COULD still be too fine or too coarse for your machine at home.

• Not selling our retail coffee at supermarket prices.

• Not understanding that your carnivorous nature is so strong that it is insulting for us to only have vegetarian cheese & herb rolls on the counter (More on that one later…)

Not withholding a degree of cynicism and sarcasm, what exactly is my point? ‘Speciality’ coffee shops such as us can focus so much on trying to deliver their precious coffee menu that other areas of the business can get neglected. Once in a while you might actually get busy so make sure you prepare for the ‘worst’ and implement adequate systems and training. But you already knew this as you have read Colin Harmon’s excellent book on why you probably shouldn’t run a coffee shop: https://www.hasbean.co.uk/collections/books/products/what-i-know-about-running-coffee-shops

I believe that we have done and do do a very good job in Liberty Coffee or else we probably wouldn’t be here anymore. This year was a particularly busy summer for us so it just goes to show that you must expect the unexpected in this industry.

P.S. I’m also sorry for not updating our blog in over a year, our report card most definitely reads: MUST DO BETTER.

There’s always next year.

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Time: 3:00pm

Cost: FREE!

For everyone (no previous knowledge of coffee or tasting is needed to enjoy this event.)

Sonali Tailor from Has Bean joins us on Sunday 25th September for an afternoon of coffee tasting. She will be bringing with her some of the best lots from Has Bean’s range for us to try. This is an invaluable opportunity to draw on Sonali’s knowledge of different coffees and the stories behind them.

Note: This is a free event and you can just turn up on the day however booking is advisable. Feel free to call, email or pop into the shop to put your name down.

We hope to see you there!

The post Has Bean Public Cupping – Sunday 25th September appeared first on Liberty Coffee, Launceston.

This isn’t as ominous as it sounds. It means is that we select coffee from a particular roaster and use mostly just their coffee for a period of time in the shop.

Who are Has Bean?

Has Bean was started by Steve Leighton who is generally know as ‘a bit of a character’ in the coffee industry. Steve originally started experimenting with roasting different coffees at home and now offers a huge selection of over 60 different coffees in a year. Has Bean’s red & white branding has become synonymous with quality, this is due to a fantastic direct relationship with producers and farmers worldwide. Their fun, informative, friendly videos try and break down some of the confusing bumph that comes with speciality coffee.

Tell us about the coffee?!

We were delighted when Has Bean approached us to showcase some of their coffee in the shop. I took great pleasure in carefully selecting some coffees that sounded the most intriguing from their extensive list. These were the top three that I chose for you guys to try:

I have linked Has Bean’s inmymug videos to each title so that you can hear much more about the story behind each coffee.

Finca Cuidad Vieja Los Jocotales, Guatemala

Has Bean say: In the cup expect a brilliant mixture of chocolate and fruit. Think Cadbury’s Caramel and a bowl of green and red apples.

Why we brought it: Guatemalan coffees always go down well in the shop. They are often very versatile so can fall into the category of somebody just wanting a quick tasty coffee.

How will it be served: We are going to use this coffee in the espresso format, I expect it will work in an Americano-like beverage but equally well in milk, especially a flat white.

Our staff are drooling at the prospect of tasting Cadbury’s Caramel in the cup!

Finca de Licho, Costa Rica

Has Bean say: In the cup there’s milk chocolate, then raspberry pavlova and a white sugar sweetness. I’ll always love the massive melted milk chocolate mouthfeel of this coffee, super awesome!

Why we brought it: The description was too good to miss out, memories of having raspberry pavlova on a Sunday afternoon when I was a kid. On a personal level this is my kind of coffee, a bit of acidity to kick things off but a lovely, long sweet finish.

How will be served: Has Bean roast a coffee just one way allowing you to brew it in an espresso or filter method (in the industry this is called omni-roasting.) This will be our second espresso offering allowing you to try sweeter milk drinks yet I reckon this coffee will cross over equally well in a nice filter beverage.

I wholeheartedly approve of the use of the double positive “super awesome”.

El Meridiano Rioblanco, Colombia (Decaffeinated)

Has Bean say: In the cup there’s a real sweet and fruity feel going on. There’s blueberries and strawberries spinkled in white sugar, alongside a big n’ sticky strawberry jam mouthfeel.

Why we brought it: We buy some tasty decaf coffees but never one that has sounded as funky and sweet as this.

How will it be served: As our decaf option…

These coffees start on Monday 15th August – they should continue over the next week or two, until we run out.

Keep your eyes pealed to our social media for future coffees from Has Bean plus tasting events!

The post Introducing The Has Bean Roaster Takeover – August 2016 appeared first on Liberty Coffee, Launceston.

Is speciality coffee a thing?

I use the term speciality coffee like it’s an everyday thing, yet I feel that it may be in its infancy as a universally understood product. When originally creating Liberty Coffee we used the speciality coffee term in our branding and on our signage, but what has this term implied to the general pool of people that have come across it?

“Their coffee is special coffee because they do lots of things to it and add special blends to it.”

“This is a speciality place, do we feel special enough to go in there, we just want a coffee.”

Both perceptions provide stumbling blocks for people being able to access some truly delicious coffee! There is some great work being done in the speciality coffee sector but there are still a large percentage of consumers missing the point. I believe brand has a big job to play in this strive.

Brand is a scary term.

A regular customer said to me, “Ben, I heard that people say that your coffee could be better than Costa.”

Instead of reigniting a tiring chain vs independent debate feel that there is an important point we can learn from this observation. The Costa brand is so strong that it immediately resonates with people as a signifier for a ‘better’ standard of coffee beverage. Does it matter if somebody can recognise the fact that their cup of coffee is directly sourced and graded as speciality? The same individual goes out of their way to drink a cup of Liberty Coffee because they find it tasty. The two points can effectively achieve the same goal; a quality-based brand produces a delicious product that delivers the message of speciality.

Accessibility is incredibly important, a great brand adds character and desirability to a product, in turn making it accessible. At Liberty Coffee we are working with Leap in order to deliver our message in a cleaner, concise manner. Speciality coffee shops can become havens of desirability due to their sharp design, comfortable, clean surroundings plus consistent delivery of delicious coffee.

Instead of speciality coffee being a term we pluck out of the sky, yearning for an ideal to define your business, it can become the very essence behind the modern day coffee brand. Simply based upon how incredible a cup of coffee can taste.

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