Although this is called our House Blend, it’s actually a single origin coffee from Colombia. This is what we’re currently using in our two cafe locations and makes for a smooth easy drinking everyday coffee.

Nariño is located in the southwest of Colombia, just above the equator and on the border with Ecuador. This mountainous region provides perfect coffee-growing conditions. It’s home to five volcanoes; volcanic compounds produced over long periods have fed the soil with key nutrients. 

Producers in this region, whose farms are often located in remote areas, have traditionally found it difficult to break into markets for higher quality coffee. The game-changer came in 2010 and 2012 when two growers from the region of Buesaco (also in northern Nariño) won the Colombian Cup of Excellence. This massive win made it apparent to many growers from the region that their coffee had the potential to be sold as speciality coffee.

Coffee in the region is grown at altitudes as high as 2,200 metres, some of the highest elevations at which coffee is grown in the world. The high altitude of cultivation allows for the slow development of the coffee bean, which gives the cup profile of Nariño its unique characteristics. As well as coffee, producers in the region grow plantain and ‘agrumes’ (citrus fruits). These provide shade for optimum coffee tree development.

Producers in this region are overwhelmingly small-holders, who manage their own self-sufficient wet-mills and patios (open or covered) for drying. Every family does their own harvesting - usually with the help of neighbours. After the red and ripe cherries are hand-picked, they are floated in cool clean water to remove any low-density beans, before being pulped. This is carried out by passing the cherry through a manual pulper at the family farm. The waste from this process will be used later as a natural fertiliser for the coffee trees. Depending on the conditions fermentation can range between 12 up to 48 hours. Some producers will add several layers of wet parchment over a few days, which are thought to add complexity to the fermentation process and final cup profile. 

Due to the micro-climate and high altitude of the region, Nariño experiences lower relative humidity, more wind and more sunny days than other areas of the country. This means the region is blessed with some of the best drying conditions found in all of Colombia.

House Blend

We're a multi award winning speciality coffee shop and roastery based in the Norwich Lanes.

House Blend

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House Blend

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