Darkwoods Coffee is an independent coffee roaster and barista school in a Victorian textile mill in Marsden, on the edge of the West Yorkshire Pennines. It was founded in 2013 by Damian Blackburn, Paul Meikle-Janney and Ian Agnew, who between them have years of experience in roasting, sourcing, training and consultancy in the UK coffee industry.
How they choose their coffee
First and foremost, they choose coffees because they taste great: classic flavours, more unusual and surprising lots, and coffees that bring something special to a blend. Each one is picked after rounds of cupping (tasting) by the team.
They buy from all sorts of producers, from family farms passed down through the generations to small farmers and community-run co-operatives.
How they roast
The coffee is roasted by hand on a 1950s Probat drum roaster in the old mill, beside the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and the River Colne. The team say the dramatic, windswept valley inspires the mood and flavours of their seasonal coffees. They offer a wide range of roasts and styles, so there's something for every taste.
Barista training
Darkwoods is also a barista school. Paul Meikle-Janney was one of the first barista trainers in the UK to bring scientific principles into training, and he helped develop the City & Guilds barista qualifications. Courses are run at the mill for cafés and for coffee lovers who want to improve their skills at home.
Buy their coffee
You can buy Darkwoods coffee from the Darkwoods Coffee website, or follow them on Instagram.
Blue Coffee Box has featured Darkwoods coffees in our subscription box.
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