Building a community.
The future of this publication.
I believe in community.
I believe shared objectives and experiences are vital if we want to see progress. My views on the way we currently organise commerce are somewhat conflicting but, what I do understand is this:
It takes a hell of a lot of time and dedication to create something of real value.
I have been writing this coffee newsletter for almost a year now and I am incredibly grateful and slightly overwhelmed by the number of people who show up weekly to read my thoughts.
In the first instance, signing up to this platform was just a way for me to offload some of the ideas and theories that currently occupy my brain waves, writing has always helped me to contextualise my thoughts, almost like a scribbled field note.
The idea was to dump my scribbles somewhere so I could free up some capacity to jot down more, giving me the option to refer to and reflect on my thoughts over the passage of time. I never really intended to make it more than this however, I have been really surprised by the engagement and frequency of emails I receive and this has spurred me on to become more consistent with my pen.
Writing this publication is an incredibly cathartic experience and I thoroughly enjoy engaging with so many of you every week, it gives me hope to see so many people engaging with coffee in such a thoughtful manner and this has provided me with a great insight into what this growing community deems valuable.
I want to write more.
We all live busy lives, myself included but something tells me that I need to keep writing. I want to keep researching and I want to dive deeper into the complexities of coffee and I really want to keep sharing.
I have a plan.
Today I will turn on the PAID SUBSCRIPTION element of this platform. For the price of a few cups of specialty coffee a month, you will now have the ability to support my future work. I still intend to keep all of my articles open-source however, I do understand that once I make this transactional for some but free for all the incentive to support my work with hard-earned cash become less of an obligation. This is why I would like to offer those who do choose the paid option a little something in return.
You guessed it, COFFEE…
Now this will not be a coffee subscription. There are plenty of excellent COMPANIES that offer this service and I would like to keep this more about the flow of information than the physical product. I currently find myself in the very fortunate position of having established relationships with some incredibly talented and motivated humans in this industry who are, like myself, engaging in conversations around how we define quality and what it really means to achieve sustainable trade.
My role is pretty simple in all of this, I want to connect people by building a wider perspective, one that engages in thoughtful conversation, whilst showcasing some of the pioneering projects and their resulting outcomes. I am hoping to play an integral role in some of these projects and I want to have the time and capacity to document this with your support.
The coffee will be infrequent but it will be of the highest quality. This might mean that coffee will flow every month, for a few months, but then it might dry up for a few months after that. I want to share as much information as I can get my hands on, this will include origin info & history, producer/exporter/importer info, processing protocols, varietal characteristics, transactional info, roast profiles, brewing guides, and cupping evaluations.
The coffee you receive will not be in branded packaging and it will not be in large volumes, what it will be is a look into the possible future of what coffee can be, an inclusive industry that considers its future and above all else, the people within it. I have become very interested in how quality has become the underlying concept for providing equity and although this model has merits I feel this needs to be expanded further. The chain is long, complex, and involves human interaction at every stage, humans that are creating quality through hard work and a drive to see a better future. For quality to work, relationships are fundamental, and by pledging your support you will get the opportunity to not only taste the fruits of this labour but you will have the chance to contribute towards the conversations that are integral to coffee’s future.
How this will work.
The current pledge will be £10 per month.
Subscribers will receive a 1 x 100g sample of roasted COFFEE BEANS. (not every month, the frequency will depend on sample material, access to coffee, shipment times and harvest dates. However, I will guarantee 4 samples per year, Spring-April, Summer-July, Autumn-Oct, and Winter-Jan.)
All coffee will come with a comprehensive article that will detail all of the info mentioned above. This will be sent out prior to the coffee sample and will be behind the paywall of this platform and only accessible to paid subscribers.
Paid subscribers will also have the opportunity to take part in virtual group discussions with me, and if the internet permits the key people behind the coffee.
Paid subscribers will also get the opportunity to access discounted archived coffee that will be frozen for future tasting projects. (Soon to be revealed)
I have a very interesting coffee to kick things off…
This is all a work in progress and I understand that the paid subscription model will not be for everyone. Please do not think that if you do not pay you are not welcome here. This is not my objective with this move, I am just trying to figure out what works for the future of this publication.
I will always try my best to record my findings in some capacity.
I really do appreciate your support.
Let me know your thoughts and If you have any questions at all please do reach out.
Cheers
Burts
X
So David...subscriptions.
Firstly, as I've mentioned here before, I'm an enthusiastic coffee amateur and at the ripe young age of 63, cannot truly be considered as the future of coffee, in any meaningful sense. I am though intending to be around for a time yet!
I enjoy learning stuff. Lots of stuff. Some useable, plenty, not so much. Coffee fascinates me. From such a seemingly straightforward beverage, so much complexity, at every angle. That said, I'm an information gatherer and happy to bore anyone on the subject, for as long as they can put up with my witterings...obviously, I'm a real catch at parties. I have learned things already, from your posts. Things that matter to me, but purely in a personal sense. Paying for a subscription, would be a wholly self-indulgent exercise and although I'd be overjoyed to receive some sporadic beans, such was the quality of the recent Colombian Orange Bourbon gift, I reckon sticking to my own objective selections from a small group of personally favoured roasters, would satisfy my determinedly non-pro status!
We have all undoubtedly been spoilt by receiving so much information for no payment up to more recent times, by the good/evil interweb. So, whilst seeking recompense for imparting knowledge is eminently and commercially fair, the crux comes for the end user, in determining just how many subs one needs, to satisfy ones thirst for expert opinion/information, whether relevant to ones profession, or simply as a pastime. In my humble opinion, you certainly deserve that to be successful and only time will tell whether or not it's a sustainable model for the additional time you'll need to spend, putting virtual pen to virtual paper.
For my part, as long as open access exists, i'll look forward to your articles and likely rue the fact that I won't be enjoying those delicious samples! I'll just need to order bags online, along with the rest of the riff-raff...
Best,
Colin.