tl:dr – Facing a career crossroads and potential redundancy, I found a well-timed sign at a Women in Coffee event at the British Library. Between cupping sessions and stories of female producers, I discovered more than just complex flavors; I found a community of enthusiasts and a renewed sense of connection.
It was a normal day when I checked my emails and found Origin Coffee advertising a ‘Women in Coffee‘ event in London. It was going to happen in a couple of weeks time on a random weekday and within minutes, I was booked in. I saw this as a sign during this turbulent moment in my life – when the tides are turning in my career and leading me to unknown places.
For context, I am in the middle of an organisational restructure and I am at risk of redundancy. I’m not sure what comes after my current job ends. Do I want to continue with this career? I have a strong feeling, however, my career will pivot and there will be a big shake up that will reshape what I do and who I am.
Time passed by quickly and before I knew it, the event arrived and I made my way to the British Library. I’d never been before and I was blown away. This compound of a building, sitting in the centre of this buzzing city, North of the river – was hiding in plain sight all this time. When I crossed the red tiled plaza and made it into the main building, I suddenly felt so small. But in a comfortable and safe way. The event was in the coffee area at the front of the building and I’d arrived early enough I could walk around and peek into the various sections of the library.
I will be coming back and I’m excited about that future trip.
The evening started. The host welcomed us into the space and talked us through coffee basics: from fruit to extraction. They started from the beginning to get everyone up to speed answering questions like:
- What is coffee?
- How do we process coffee?
- How can this affect flavour?
Once the basics covered, we started the cupping session. We spent the evening tasting the six exclusive coffees for International Womens Month. Grown and produced by women around the world, these coffees engaged every sense. Beyond taste, we used our noses and eyes to evaluate the beans at every stage – dry, ground, and wet. We listened to stories about each producer, their history in coffee as new or well established farmers and land owners. We took a look at how Origin have been helping build resilient and stronger coffee communities with a focus on sustainability. We even learnt about the suminagashi ink marbling technique used by @A-Side Studio to create the package design across the range (and in my featured image). This technique was used to represent the rippling effect that women producers have in their community – a beautiful and thoughtful design choice.
We tried coffees from major growing regions like Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia and Peru – each showcasing flavours that may have been complex like white wine, delicate like chamomile and fruit forward like cherry. I ended up completing 3 circuits of cupping so I had the opportunity to taste the coffee hot, warm and cool – all of which changed the balance of flavours in the cup.
An unexpected bonus of the night was the conversation with other enthusiasts; professionals or hobbyists like me. We shared our own stories as we sipped and tasted the coffees. I discovered things like a farmer in Brazil working on a more diverse and inclusive coffee tasting wheel for Coffea canephora (also known as robusta) that uses flavours not limited to Western palates, freeze distillation of milk that removes excess water and concentrates lactose sugars and I got to connect with a fellow attendee who was opening a new gallery in the city which would have its own in-built coffee shop. It was easy for me to build those bridges with people and I’m looking forward to connecting with others in a future coffee event.
Until the next event,
Coffee Log 
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