It’s the most wonderful time of the year- and that means it’s time to get started on those Christmas wish lists! At Bailies, we know that with gift giving, often comes that little bit of panic the closer it gets to Christmas time- it’s never easy when trying to pick the perfect present! We’ve put together the following Christmas Gift Guide- filled with inspiration and plenty of options to hopefully make your Christmas shopping that little bit easier this year... Coffee There’s no such thing as too much coffee… right? Right. For 2020, we bring back our Christmas Blend, along with some extra special microlots that will certainly add to any coffee lover’s festive cheer! Our limited-edition Christmas Blend is unique combination of two washed...
It's a miserable early August afternoon. The summer has begun to quickly fade away and the rain is pouring from the heavens. Luckily for us, we're sheltered from the grey clouds outside- staring out at passers-by rushing through the rain from the shelter and comfort of Finegan & Son- an unassuming yet, prime speciality coffee spot far from the bright lights and hype of Belfast. From the outside, Finegan & Son looks like it could have been the inspiration for the shop fronts of Diagon Alley (that's one for you Harry Potter fans). Inside, the cafe is minimal, yet quaint- presented in an airy space, with wooden flooring, tables and chairs accompanied by giant windows that allow light to envelop...
So much changed for us as at the roastery over the past 20 years, the same can also be said for the specialty coffee industry across Northern Ireland. We’re a small country, but we have a lot to offer; growing rapidly to rival some of the largest coffee destinations in Europe. There is something special about being part of a unique, pocket-sized community, where everyone is so passionate about one thing…coffee. In our unique coffee world, we seem to have developed an innate desire to walk into our favourite café, or new street addition, and initiate conversation with our barista on anything from the origin to the roast or the brew- that subtle look of approval I receive when I...
Post celebrations from his win at this years IBrC, Stephen Houston shares his journey to the world stage and what it takes to raise the bar both mentally and physically! How have you prepared for WBrC? I had prepared quite a bit for the Irish Brewers Cup, starting from the previous year where I competed and came in around 17th place. I used this as my focus and spent the year working on my roasting ability as well brewing. Having done run-throughs, lots of brewing, preparing a presentation and then competing twice to win the IBrC. I was able to gain some really useful feedback from world class judges, this information was extremely helpful when it came to getting ready for...
Walking on air from his win at the Irish Brewers Cup last weekend Stephen Houston was more than happy to share what it takes to win, live the dream and prepare for the world stage. The story behind the coffee The variety is not indigenous to Colombia and the seeds have made their way originally from Yemen. The coffee is characterised by its journey and its unique processing. Handpicked, fermented, then wrapped in cloths for 24 hours so the beans reach high temperatures, further speeding up fermentation enhancing the sweetness and exotic fruit flavours. It is then dried for 33 days alternating sun and shade. Mr Gutierrez has dubbed this as “the honey technique for Naturals”. The coffee (The main subject...
