Member Article

QW Grading Success Shows Laurence is Top Class

A top-flight professional qualification, held by only 35 people in the UK and 3,500 worldwide, has been gained by a partner and co-founder of independent artisan coffee roaster, York Coffee Emporium.

Laurence Beardmore, who acquired York Coffee Emporium, Nether Poppleton, with his wife and business partner, Philippa, in 2011, has qualified to become a Q Grader – the coffee industry equivalent of a professional sommelier wine taster – after passing rigorous tests held in Harrogate and in Tolentino, Italy.

Q Grading is being adopted worldwide and reflects major recent changes in the coffee industry. It is part of the Q System which is creating a uniform verifiable international standard for coffee quality affecting how it is grown, sold, traded roasted and served to create better tasting coffees and reflect interest among drinkers, many of whom are budding connoisseurs.

Growing adoption of the Q system also enables the coffee industry to identify producers of specialty coffee beans and ensure they are paid appropriately for quality; to certify individuals for grading coffees for import and export, and for buyers to roast and sell coffees with Q Grading standards.

In gaining the Q Grading qualification – which lasts for only 36 months as the industry is developing so quickly - Laurence had to pass 20 rigorous tests, including a combination of grading, cupping, scoring, olfactory, gustation and other sensorial challenges, including identifying different faults placed into coffees from throughout the world.

He says: “It really is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do but, for our industry, it is a marvelous system and an indication of high-level expertise as the tests sort out those who have genuine coffee expertise and those who do not.

“The system is crucial for developing the industry as the supply chain from growers to baristas is changing as people adopt different roles within it – such as cafes who roast their own coffees – and the system ensures that there are uniform levels of expertise throughout the industry.

“I felt it was important to gain the qualification as part of our commitment to professionalism, top quality and consistency in all we do so our customers can have total confidence that coffees are as we describe them and that we sell only the very best.

“You will see many cafes serving York Coffee Emporium Coffee Blends around the Yorks area but this qualification means that consumers can be sure that the quality and diversity of the coffees is superb. We are employing an additional coffee roaster soon and they will be put through exactly the same training so we have top-class expertise throughout the company as we continue to grow.”

York Coffee Emporium, which has eight staff and 200 regular customers between Jon O Groats and London, imports, hand-roasts and blends coffees from around the world as well as sourcing and selling speciality teas and hot chocolate to cafes, restaurants, hotels, visitor attractions, businesses and large coffee companies. The business also supplies wholesale buyers and individuals through its e-commerce site and sells La Cimbali coffee machines and equipment and provides barista training.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mike Clarke Communications .