Comments on: Coffee article in the Daily Mail

By: Overextracted

Overextracted — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 23:30:28 +0000

That Macatonia is just so scared that people with home roasters will do a better job than what he does with his crapy coffee.
Roasting is not hard at all specially when you have hi tech roasters like they do.
Grow up Maca i have seen many people like you before and the only thing your type do for our industry is bring arrrogance.

By: SteveP

SteveP — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 11:01:39 +0000

I was interested to read the article – sort of the tip of an iceberg being sighted – a new Tabloid Trend. Perhaps the recent deluge of capsule coffee machine ads for Christmas piqued their interest.

I must say Union have a nice website (much improved from the original) and I trust you if you say they are nice people. But a couple of years ago I was looking for information on setting up a roasting business (outside the UK) and I contacted them. I did not receive the courtesy of a reply. Fortunately, LSOC was created.

While the Master Roaster in question may have supernatural powers, I always relate my coffee preferences to wine and beer tasting. If there was a “right” way to create flavours, we would not have the vast range of wine, beer and coffee we do now.

Having worked with British tabloid “journalists” I should point out that their “quotes” are often made up later. So possibly we can hear the other side of the story some day. If Mr. Macatonia actually said what was quoted, he should refrain from speaking in public.

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 21:22:06 +0000

I’m glad they put Macatonia’s title in quotes. Over on this side of the pond it’s more a subtle indicator of questioning the validity of his claim to be a roast master. He’s quite the snob in his own right, yes?

Home roasters are an often overlooked, definitely undervalued contributor to the rise in the specialty coffee movement.

By: NeilA

NeilA — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 19:38:01 +0000

In representing a loose co-op of home roasters, I can say that in Australia, we have a similar struggle to get the local press to write intelligently about coffee (example: http://ozgreens.net.au/article/42/ozgreens-outed ).

But I admit, the almost slanderous put-down of all home roasters in the Daily Mail piece is harsh! :)

By: Gouezeri

Gouezeri — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 15:35:39 +0000

Cakey. Make mine a Union Roaster Robusta single origin, cos they’re the only ones who know how beans change when roasting. Oh dear, they don’t do one, better give it a miss then!

By: Annoying Article pt2 at Hasbean weblog

Annoying Article pt2 at Hasbean weblog — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 14:15:41 +0000

[...] thanks to Jim Seven for finding the article out [...]

By: bz

bz — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 14:04:18 +0000

never mind. it was my rss reader screwing it up. thanks, james.

By: bz

bz — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 14:00:24 +0000

is it just me? your scan, james, is FAR too small for me to read. on my screen, it’s about 10 cm by 4 cm.

i’m appreciative, however.

By: jim

jim — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 13:43:17 +0000

That, Dave, is a splendid quote.

By: jim

jim — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 13:31:41 +0000

Well at least they are vaguely having a stab.

I know Kevin Gould is planning to write more – possibly including a name drop for a friend of ours.

Union don’t come out well at all, which is a shame cos they are nice folks.