The Reliable Roasters
A long established family firm, Miles Tea & Coffee have been specialising in coffee roasting and tea blending for over 100 years. Although with their roots firmly based in Somerset, the intricate, striking and vibrant flavours of the global coffee trade can be tasted in all their coffees. Head roaster Mitch explains how ensuring a consistent and full-bodied flavour is a process that has been unremittingly refined over many years…
With a background in tea, was it a natural progression to move into coffee?
When Derek Miles first located to the West Country he was employed as a tea inspector at Avonmouth Docks. This was the catalyst to Derek starting his own tea business following on from his Grandfather Henry who was also established in the tea trade.
Coffee seemed a natural progression for the business, and following the construction of our purpose-built tea factory in Minehead, the coffee-side of Miles Tea & Coffee organically grew into what it is today.
Sourcing and selecting your beans must be a lengthy process – where do you start when selecting beans grown half-way around the world?
There is actually less variation in coffee bean harvest than tealeaves which makes the process ever so slightly easier. Our recipe blends however, have long been kept a secret and have been refined over many years to arrive at unique flavours, that are distinctively ‘Miles’. It is essential that we source the best quality beans in a fair and sustainable manner, therefore the team at Miles have visited coffee plantations to ensure a high standard is maintained.
When the beans make it to Somerset, what happens next?
The coffee beans still come in large hessian sacks each with colourful design direct from source. Our beans arrive at our Minehead warehouse from all around the world anywhere from Thailand to Brazil and all the places in between, including Colombia and Honduras – the list really is endless. Our Porlock roastery then requests what they require for roasting, grinding and blending on a daily basis.
With such a precise process, how do you guarantee the perfect blend time and time again?
We roast our speciality batches in a small 20kg roaster which is overseen by me. Having worked for Miles for 30 years, knowing how to achieve a consistent blend, I suppose, has become second nature – I love the preciseness and attention to detail which is crucial to obtaining that accuracy again and again. I simply use a sample tray as well as my senses of sight and smell, and with a variation of temperature and roasting time I can manipulate the flavour of the beans.
Meal-time matches – a perfect blend for any time of day…
Breakfast: Breakfast Blend – A gentle coffee with plenty of flavour, this coffee has been roasted a little bit lighter to allow more characters to come through.
Lunch: Bright and Breezy – Our house blend of mostly Central American Arabica coffees, has a smooth but full flavour without bitterness. A medium roast.
Dinner: Rich & Reviving – A blend of mostly Central American Arabica coffees, roasted a little bit longer to develop a deep, strong flavor. A rich roast.