In the Minas Gerais, about 5 hours drive north of São Paulo. Nearest town Alfenas. It’s winter. Weather is like a normal Northern Irish Summer but with a bit less rain? #CoffeeAdventures #SpecialityCoffee #CoffeeRoaster #SDBells #SDB @IpanemaCoffees

There are 8,000 seedlings in this bed, and 1.3 million on the plantation. All planted by hand, and the lucky ones will mature by September ready for transplant into the fields. Close-up of the seedlings. Look closely. The bean is planted in nutrient-rich sand, flat-side-down, and is pushed up from below by its plucky little […]

Robert picked these yesterday afternoon. Red acaia beans, 3 nice ripe ones, plus some over-ripe. Like raisins on a vine, the black bean looks unappetising but is a coffee cuppers delight. The ‘mucilage’ (flesh) on the cherry, rather than being removed by mechanical ‘pulping’ has been absorbed into the bean, giving it a fruity sweetness. […]

Robert with a one-yr old Acaia coffee tree. Will be productive in 3 years. A very resilient strain, very productive. The flavour profile of these coffees, grown in the Sul de Minas area of the Minas Gerais region is full bodied with fruity aromas and citric flavours. #CoffeeAdventures #Brazil #CoffeeBlog #SpecialityCoffee#MorningCoffee #CoffeeMoment #CoffeeRoaster Ipanema Coffees

Following Robert’s successful tea trip to Darjeeling back in April, he is travelling again, this time to Brazil to discover the secrets behind one of the most innovative, quality driven coffee farms in the world! Over the next few days Robert will be sharing photos and expertise gained from his trip. Watch this space too, […]

SD Bell’s will be closed on Thursday 12th & Friday 13th July, re-opening on Saturday 14th July at 8.30am. All online orders will be processed when we return. Many thanks

What could be a better way to cool down in this stifling weather than with an ice tea in your hand and your feet up? At SD Bell’s Leaf and Berry Coffee Bar and Tearooms, we have an introduced a number of ice teas this summer to combat the heatwave! Here are a few suggestions […]

  With Father’s Day only around the corner we have the perfect selection of gifts to treat your dad. Coffee accessories, coffee subscriptions and more. Our Aeropress is available to order online or in a hamper here. We are now stockists of Hario V60s, these along with other accessories such the Gooseneck pouring kettle are […]

So what makes Darjeeling so special? There are many factors, but here are a few. The climate and terroir in Darjeeling is perfect for the cultivation of the Chinese variety ofcamellia sinensis. In fact “Darjeeling Tea” can only carry that name if it was grown from these plants, and solely in that region. Such controls […]

In the 1840’s, the steady trade in tea from China faltered. China, a somewhat reluctant trading partner, had been bullied into accepting opium from the British East India Company, in exchange for tea, and violent exchanges (the “Opium Wars”) ensued. It became clear to the British that an alternative source needed to be found to […]