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The Journal

Intelligence.
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Perspective.

Essays, analysis, and long-reads on coffee, technology, sourcing, and the future of the industry.

Featured

Technology6 min read · March 2026

The 58-Second Cup

Why Speed and Quality Are No Longer a Trade-Off

For decades, the received wisdom in specialty coffee was simple: great espresso takes time, skill, and a human touch. That orthodoxy is being dismantled — one precisely calibrated extraction at a time.

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The 58-Second Cup

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Sourcing7 min read

Direct Trade Is Broken

Here's How We're Fixing It

Walk into almost any specialty coffee shop in London and you will find the words 'direct trade' printed somewhere — on a chalkboard, a menu, a bag of beans. It has become the industry's most powerful marketing claim. It is also, in most cases, largely meaningless.

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Industry8 min read

Death of the High Street Café

And What Comes Next

Two hospitality venues are closing every day in the United Kingdom. The high street café, as a business model, is under structural pressure that no amount of loyalty cards or oat milk options can resolve. What replaces it will look very different.

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Coffee Science7 min read

Arabica vs. Robusta

The Blend Wars That Shaped Modern Coffee

The history of espresso is, in large part, a history of a disagreement about beans. For most of the twentieth century, the question of whether to use Arabica, Robusta, or a blend of the two was not merely a matter of taste — it was a matter of economics, identity, and national pride.

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Technology6 min read

Latte Art Without a Barista

The AI Behind Your Morning Cup

A skilled barista takes years to master latte art. The ability to pour steamed milk into espresso and produce a rosette, a tulip, or a swan is a genuine craft skill — one that requires an understanding of milk texture, pour speed, and the fluid dynamics of a moving surface. It is also, increasingly, something a machine can do better.

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Origins8 min read

Four Origins, One Blend

A Journey Through the Farms Behind ORO No.01

Every cup of ORO No.01 begins in four different places, on four different continents, at four different altitudes. The blend is the result of a deliberate decision: that no single origin, however exceptional, can deliver the full range of characteristics that a great espresso requires.

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Industry6 min read

Why the Best Coffee Shops in London Are Getting Smaller

The Rise of the Micro-Format and What It Means for the Future of Coffee

There is a counterintuitive trend running through London's coffee scene. As the major chains continue to open large-format flagship stores, the most interesting — and often the most profitable — new coffee concepts are getting smaller. Much smaller.

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Brew Guide9 min read

The Best Brew Methods

From Espresso to Pour-Over — A Definitive Guide

There is no single best way to brew coffee. There is only the best way to brew the coffee you have, for the cup you want, with the equipment in front of you. What follows is an honest assessment of five methods that between them cover almost every scenario.

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