Have you ever wondered what the real cost of products you use every day is? Like coffee and sugar… Do you find it interesting to know what price people pay to bring those nutty, smoky roasted coffee flavours straight from the farm to our cups? These daily ingredients originate from different parts of the world and have individual stories to tell.
Welcome to What’s the Costa Your Coffee Podcast, where we take you along on a journey of everyday ingredients, from farm to everybody’s kitchen counters. These ingredients are cultivated around the globe but they have their own stories to tell which we will explore throughout our podcast.
We speak to farmers who grow these everyday products, for example, coffee and learn about the issues they face which often gets overshadowed by the aroma of coffee. We also learn interesting facts about these products and how they changed the world. The podcast also features coffee and tea experts who explain the state of these ingredients in the UK.
Episode 01: “Coffee and its trade” – Uganda Coffee cooperative and a Cardiff cafe
Journey of coffee beans from mount Elgon to the UK
In our first episode, we spoke to Nimrod Wambette, The chairman of Gumutindo cooperative, who shares his journey with planting coffee and explains the trade of it. From preserving the flavour and aroma of coffee to not getting paid the right amount, he explains his side of the story. Back to the UK, we have Connor, manager of The Little Man Coffee co. who shares the state of coffee in the UK.
Episode 01 also gives some information about how coffee changed Britain since the eighteenth century.
Episode 02: “What’s the Tea in the UK?” – Bird & Blend Tea Co. and a Cardiff University professor
Journey of tea leaves in the UK
In the second episode, we spoke to Professor Les Baillie from Cardiff University, who talks about the different stages of tea production and health benefits of tea. From removing the top leaves of tea plants for promoting even growth to its ability to cure heart disease, Professor Baillie spills all the tea on Britain’s favourite beverage.
Hidden in the busy streets of Cardiff City Centre, Bird & Blend Tea’s store manager Georg talks about innovative ways to drink tea and the cultural significance as well as the condition of tea in the UK.