Written by Karla
There are a few old family photos scattered through this post. A younger me, a long way from Beechworth and certainly a long way from knowing I’d one day be roasting coffee here.
I was born in Peru and moved to Australia as a young child. My Peruvian heritage is something I’m deeply proud of and since becoming a roaster, I’ve wanted to bring a little of it into the roastery.
So this is a coffee I’ve been looking forward to introducing: our Peru Single Origin.
But first, a little of the story behind it
Growing up in Australia, Peru was part of our family life. It was in the food at family gatherings, the conversations around the table and the stories that came out whenever someone opened a photo album.
Looking back through these photos while getting ready to share this coffee has been lovely. It’s also made choosing which ones to share for this post quite difficult.
Photos taken with the Matriarch of the family Mama Fina, my mum, dad and my brother Luis -The photos of top of the car are me and my dad at a beach where he’s from Callao
Sharing Peru with Angus
Going to Peru with Angus gave me a chance to share that part of my life with him and the trip turned out to be even more special than we’d planned.
When we arrived, I was six weeks pregnant with Ava. We’d kept it to ourselves until then, so I got to tell my family in Peru in person. Sharing that news with my family was super special.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing, though. Acclimatising to the altitude in Cusco is hard at the best of times and being in the early weeks of pregnancy made it a lot harder. There were slow mornings and plenty of rest stops, but looking back, even that is part of the story. Ava came to Peru before she was even born.
Angus and Karla in Peru in 2014.
Bringing a little of that story to Beechworth
Now Beechworth is home, and roasting coffee is part of my everyday life. Working with beans from Peru has given me a way to bring those two parts of my life together.
A little of Peru has found its way onto the bag, too, with colours and patterns inspired by the textiles and traditional crafts you can see in our trip photos.
These beans are grown high in the Peruvian Andes, a place called Cajamarca – one of Peru’s leading coffee-producing regions. It’s grown in rich volcanic soils, by smallholder farming families whose knowledge has been passed down through generations.
After carefully selecting the beans, I got to the part I was especially looking forward to: the roasting.
There’s plenty of tasting and adjusting that goes into getting a coffee where you want it. With this one, I really wanted to get it right. I’ve worked hard to bring out the flavours in these beans and I’m proud of the result.
I’ve taken them to a medium roast, bringing out deep chocolate and rounded apricot, with a bright finish that lingers. It’s full-bodied and sweet and you can enjoy it as espresso, stovetop, French press or pour-over.
It’s a lovely thing to roast coffee from the country where I was born, here in the town I call home and then hand a bag across the counter to someone I know.
Already finding its regulars
A few of you have already taken Peru home, and some are now coming back for your Peruvian beans.
That’s been one of the nicest parts of introducing this coffee. After all the work that goes into a roast, having someone walk back in for another bag means a lot.
Thank you to everyone who’s tried it and told me what you think. I’ve been excited to share this part of my story with you, and even more excited to see the coffee become part of your mornings.
You can find our Peru Single Origin at the roastery in Boiler House Lane, at Goldfields in Beechworth, or order a bag online.
Next time you’re in, ask me about it. And if you’ve already taken a bag home, I’d love to hear how you’re enjoying it.
