I havent heard much about old Steve at Hasbean lately, I thought that maybe he's got the hump now his friend Jim Hoffman has started up a competing roaster outfit at square mile roasters.
But Not So !!
It seems Steve has dived head-first into a new Tea adventure at his new website http://www.mrtea.co.uk (slogan = 'I pity the fool who doesnt buy tea from me' - dont laugh, it's true !)
Same knackered website as the coffee one, just tea instead.
The tea website links back to the coffee one, but it doesnt work the other way around - maybe he's ashamed of it or something - who knows
Anyway, lets looks forward to the 'mrTblog.co.uk' or whatever, so we can laugh at his new antics.
HasBeanSteve Senior Member Joined: 3 Jun 2003 Posts: 53 Location: Stafford Expertise: Professional
Espresso: La Spaziale 2grp Spazio Grinder: La Spaziale Lusso Vac Pot: Cona B, C ,D Drip: Bravilor Roaster: Ambex YM 2kg, 5kg and 15kg
Posted Sat Jul 26, 2008, 9:29pm Subject: Re: Whats happened to Steve Leighton at HasBean
As Mark Says Still here :) I do post on Coffeegeek intermittently but I'm always reading.
I Love what James and Anete is Doing at Square Mile, I was down there recently so no hump at all :)
"Same Knackered Website" is a bit harsh mind most people seem to find it very usable.
MrTea has been around for the same time as Has Bean, they were implemented the same time. We have most of the tea offering on Has Bean but don't offer the coffee on Mr Tea hence the link.
Queynte Senior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2008 Posts: 17 Location: London Expertise: I live coffee
Posted Sun Jul 27, 2008, 10:46am Subject: Re: Whats happened to Steve Leighton at HasBean
Fair enough about the website Steve, It's just that I'm in the website business (banking mainly), and I have some very tough customers - which makes me hyper-critical, which isnt very fair - I know.
I guess where Im coming from, is that Im really dissapointed that there isnt a more robust and competitive roasting business in the UK. The only names I get to hear are Steve, Steve, Steve etc.
Ive had your coffee, and it's great - no doubt. But Ive also had coffee from a number of other roasters and their coffee is also just as good. And yet we never hear about anyone else but you, and it really f**ks me off a little bit.
I would LOVE for there to be at least half a dozen really prominent roaters here in the UK that are all jostling for the position of top dog. It would be awsome for us coffee lovers to see the best of the best fighting for our affections.
However, as I said it's all Steve, Steve, Steve, with the occasional mention of James gourmet (on a good day) and that's it !!!.
I have started buying all my coffee from the under-dogs, because I feel very passionately about coffee, and I feel that there needs to be more passion in the UK coffee bsuiness.
Sorry if this all sounds like a rant, but I want a little more passion in my cup.
HasBeanSteve Senior Member Joined: 3 Jun 2003 Posts: 53 Location: Stafford Expertise: Professional
Espresso: La Spaziale 2grp Spazio Grinder: La Spaziale Lusso Vac Pot: Cona B, C ,D Drip: Bravilor Roaster: Ambex YM 2kg, 5kg and 15kg
Posted Sun Jul 27, 2008, 11:24pm Subject: Re: Whats happened to Steve Leighton at HasBean
Hi Buffard
Thanks for the reply
Let me tell you when we entered the roasting business a few years ago there was even less choice. I see a real rise in the specialty sector in the UK and this can only be good for everyone, including the bean shop and other roasters out there.
I certainly don't think this will help by bashing (I know an over reaction) me. Will it make the market any more competitive? We are just doing what we are doing, we don't make our customers say "Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve"us and as far a I'm aware I haven't brainwashed anyone. :)
We just do what we do, and other roasting companies will do what they do.
I certainly don't think I'm the top dog, in fact we area tiny coffee roasting company in the grand scheme of things. 6 years ago I was still roasting in my garage at home on a small 2kg roaster, and things have only changed very little now. We are no where near the quantities or size of many UK roasters.
There are lots of other companies out there roasting great coffee, a few you have already mentioned and some that are local home town roasters, and many I aspire to.
And as far as passion in the cup goes, I'm afraid this for me is why I get up every day and do what we do. I am incredibly passionate about the producers we buy from not just about the beverage. Passion is measured in many different ways but I do believe on this one there are few as passionate about coffee.
I like the sentiment completely that we should talk about other roasters and other options, and I think you have done this really well, but just have a read over the first post here, and a post you placed on home Barista and just think about how you would feel if you read this about something you do as your livelihood and dedicate most of your life to.
There are plenty of bigger roasting companies that deserve this attention than ours.
Queynte Senior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2008 Posts: 17 Location: London Expertise: I live coffee
Posted Mon Jul 28, 2008, 3:58am Subject: Re: Whats happened to Steve Leighton at HasBean
Steve
Im not bashing you, Im bashing the fact that hasbean is the only roastery you ever get to hear about.
You say your a small garage outfit, but I find that very hard to swallow when you have a 25k, a 15k, 2 x 5k and a 2 kilo roaster in an industrial building several thousand square feet, and a recent article about you quoted you as saying your yearly turnover was in excess of £450k.
There's some little guy in east sussex who roasts coffee on an old antique hand-cranked uno for the local market stalls. Last I spoke he was jumping with excitement because his brother in law was on holiday at Mt. Kilamanjaro and has managed to find some back end of nowhere farm that wants to offload a pallette of peaberry, and this guy rekons he can get it to the UK. Now we all know it's likely to be a pile of dog-doo but I cant wait to get my hands on a couple of pounds just to see because its exciting and refreshing and for me it should be what coffee is all about.
Every time I speak to a real 'out of the garage' roastery they're always moaning about how they cant sell anything 'cause google wont rank their crappy little website, or how the only decent green they can get is from Mercanta at silly prices.
Im just so damn bored of the whole thing - I recently went to a coffee show at the docklands and was sent to sleep by james hoffman and his flunkies who were about as inspirational as nothing, the guy only won the WBC because Hester Blumenthal gave him kick-ass recipes for his signature drinks.
There needs to be more 'rock and roll' in this business. We want to see tattooed 'new age' guys with nipple rings taking trips into the depths of the Yirgacheffe valley with an empty backpack to return with cherries we've never tasted before. These forums are sometimes more abou geeks pimping their silvia's than they are about the coffee and the poor starving uneducated farmers who have the power to tranform our understanding of this miraculous beverage.
Now you can bitch about my comments, or even scrub this post and pretend that I never happened - I dont really care. Im just some computer nerd working in the city, but at the end of the day our UK fledgling specialty coffee industry is already turning into a real yawn.
Posted Mon Jul 28, 2008, 6:10am Subject: Re: Whats happened to Steve Leighton at HasBean
Queynte Said:
Im just so damn bored of the whole thing - I recently went to a coffee show at the docklands and was sent to sleep by james hoffman and his flunkies who were about as inspirational as nothing, the guy only won the WBC because Hester Blumenthal gave him kick-ass recipes for his signature drinks.
I am very sorry you didn't enjoy the coffee show at Excel - what was it you saw, a lecture or the competition? If it was a lecture you should have said something, I'm more than happy to get criticism if it is justified.
Can't help but want to correct you on your assumptions about my WBC win - yes I worked with the Fat Duck, but more with Chris Young as Heston doesn't really like coffee and has no real interest in espresso. The recipe was entirely my own - the Fat Duck helped out with ingredients choices and ways to do things. In truth they helped a lot more the year before, but that drink was panned by the judges. Chris Young is no longer at the Fat Duck but continues to help me with technical food questions.
In truth I really don't understand what you want from the coffee industry in the UK. People like Steve Hasbean have great reputations because they have lots of happy customers - it's nothing more complex or conspiratorial than that. There are lots of people starting up roasteries at the moment and sourcing coffee is a challenge for everyone. Direct trade's appeal, but unless you move containers of coffee then getting hold of your find is tricky and very expensive.
I don't really want to get into an argument online - they never end well, but if you are ever in Bethnal Green then I'd be happy to chat face to face over a coffee.
Posted Mon Jul 28, 2008, 6:59am Subject: Re: Whats happened to Steve Leighton at HasBean
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