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MEET THE PRODUCER
MONSOON ESTATES
Anne Parker and Chris Howard developed their love of coffee while living in Europe and Australia.
When they returned to the UK, they struggled to find a good cup, so they bought beans online and started to roast their own.
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Like all of the very best ideas, Monsoon Estates is a business created from passion
When a friend invited them and their coffee to a charity sale, the enthusiastic response they got encouraged the couple to start thinking about a business. Chris says: “I travelled to Turkey to buy our first roasting machine.
We worked from home and started selling our coffee at markets, building up a strong local fanbase. Many of those original customers still loyally buy from us now.”
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Award winning
2012 marked a step up in the business with a move into their very own premises. A barn conversion just outside Stratford-on-Avon was turned into the Monsoon Estates Roastery and Anne and Chris also picked up their first award.
Anne says: “We were so surprised and proud to win a Great Taste Award with two stars for our Nicaraguan Maragogype coffee. These are known as elephant beans because of their size. Medium roasted, it’s great for filter or cafetiere and the coffee has a lovely rich and nutty taste. Since 2012, we’ve managed to pick up at least one award every year. It’s great to know that we’ve been able to maintain our quality standards while still increasing the quantity of beans we roast.”
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Hand roasted
Hand-roasted in small batches, the team create their own interesting blends from their single origin coffee beans and they sell their coffee either as whole beans or ground, for whichever brew method you prefer.
Anne adds: “We love exploring new and interesting beans, learning about the roasting process as we go. We’re on a mission to find the perfect cup of coffee. We know it’s not possible of course, but it’s a journey of discovery and we’re always getting closer.”