At Cotswold Eats, we are big coffee lovers (just to clarify, that’s both big lovers of coffee and lovers of big coffee…) We generally lean for black coffee, whether an espresso, americano or a simple cafetière situation, so the flavour of the brew is pretty important as we’re generally not adding any sugar, syrups or even milk.
We recently had the chance to spend some time with the team over at Stow Town Coffee Artisan Micro-Roastery in Stow-on-the-Wold, to try out fresh coffee made from green coffee beans, sourced from all around the world, and roasted in the what seems to be the smallest commercial coffee roastery in the Cotswolds (and even the UK in general).
Their signature house blend is made up from carefully selected Colombian and Sumatran beans, medium roasted for that smooth, classic taste; however, they can handcraft bespoke blends and roast profiles for each customer, meaning they can boast their own personal, locally roasted, house blends that aren’t available anywhere else.
Their coffee is roasted daily and is predominantly distributed to businesses within a 20-mile radius of the roastery, in an effort to not only minimise their carbon footprint, but also to develop and encourage strong, friendly relationships with other local business owners. This also ensures that beans always reach the customers at their absolute freshest.
The shop is situated on Sheep Street in Stow and is simply oozing with old-meets-new character; with the focal point being on their incredible coffee roaster. Serving as both their roastery and a delectable little espresso bar, you can also venture up the stairs and you’ll find The Stow Town Coffee’s 'secret' coffee lounge; a delightfully cosy seating area hidden away in the attic, complete with original features from the building’s history – perfect for a cosying up with a book in the winter, while coffee roasts below.
The experienced team at Stow Town Coffee are now also hosting 30-minute coffee training workshops; so, if you’ve always wanted to try your hand at being a barista or want to learn about the coffee bean roasting process, it really is the perfect place to learn! They’ll teach you all about the background and origins of coffee, you’ll learn how to make a perfect espresso and they’ll even give you a crash-course in latte art!
Nothing fills my heart with joy quite like the smell of freshly roasted coffee, and nothing makes me happier than business owners who are environmentally mindful. From providing used coffee grounds for people to use as fertiliser, to offering customers a discount for bringing their own coffee jar to fill with their freshly roasted beans; they are constantly looking for new ways to make their wonderful little business more eco-friendly.
The shop is definitely worth a visit if you’re visiting Stow, and is more than worthy of becoming your regular coffee hook-up if you live there. If you run a local restaurant, their beans are a no brainer. Give them a try!
