Watermark Coffee is working with the Clew Bay Oyster Co-Op to restore oysters and reduce coastal erosion by using coffee purchases to fund seabed restoration. 

BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT

Featured photo courtesy of Watermark Coffee

As the world grapples with environmental issues and climate change, it has become increasingly important for businesses to be more conscious of their ecological impact. One business that stands out in this regard is Watermark Coffee, founded by David Lawlor and his wife, Marguerite. The company takes a unique approach to sustainability by focusing on its Green Ocean Coffee initiative.  

David, the company’s managing director, has chosen the ocean as their primary cause to support, and has partnered with local change-makers to do so. The Green Ocean Coffee project has been focusing its efforts on restoring the oyster population in Clew Bay, located in County Mayo in Ireland. We reached out to David and asked him about Green Ocean Coffee and the importance of businesses taking meaningful environmental action. 

Restoring the Ecosystem Through Reviving Oysters 

As a keystone species, oysters are a vital part of the local ecosystem and provide essential services, such as nutrient cycling and water filtration. The team at Watermark Coffee has made it their mission to revive the oyster population in Clew Bay.  

David decided to start the project as a direct response to the climate crisis. “I believe that every effort, no matter how small, makes a difference. … (We) are now at a ‘make or break’ stage where we need to take every opportunity to make better climate decisions. Businesses have an even greater opportunity to make a difference in terms of their available resources and influence. We don’t have time to waste.” 

But how can oysters help exactly? According to David, oysters help filter seawater. This allows sunlight to reach deeper into the ocean and promotes the growth of seagrass and other marine plants. ”Seagrass is a powerful carbon sink; according to the UN, seagrass absorbs atmospheric carbon at a rate of 35 times faster than the rainforest. The established oyster and seagrass/seaweed reef provides a perfect environment for juvenile fish to grow and avoid predation but also (reduces) coastal erosion.”

Watermark Coffee, from Bean to Sea 

Together with the Clew Bay Oyster Co-Op, the Green Ocean Coffee project carried out the first phase of restoration in July 2022 to capture the essence of the project. To help oyster larvae settle and attach to the sea floor, they applied a layer of broken shell called culch. Their goal? Create an oyster reef by spreading culch and letting it develop over a period of three to four years. 

Watermark Coffee is not only looking to help the local environment and revive Clew Bay’s oyster population, but they’re also committed to sustainability in their business operations. David explains, ”The link between coffee consumption and the restoration is simple. One square meter of seabed restoration is funded with each 1 kg bag of coffee purchased.”

The coffee itself is packaged in fully recyclable bags and purchased directly from farmers, giving Watermark a direct link between producers and the final coffee customer.

Local, Simple, Authentic Climate Action 

The Green Ocean Coffee project is a long-term commitment, and Watermark Coffee is dedicated to making it a success. David believes that businesses have an even greater opportunity to make a difference. Their environmental emissions are much higher than the individual, but they also have more available resources and influence.   

“The challenge for businesses is to engage in authentic climate action or carbon-reducing measures rather than being seduced by the allure of greenwashing, which tends to be vague in detail and grandiose in its claims. When it comes to climate action, authenticity trumps everything else,” he says. 

David thinks businesses looking to promote their sustainability initiatives should ensure they demonstrate the worth of their initiative and keep it local and simple. “It is also important that the climate action culture of the business reflects the ethos of the initiative, as this will greatly improve its chances of being noticed in a crowded media landscape,” he says.

The Green Ocean Coffee Project is continuing its restoration work in Clew Bay for the next two to four years. They’re also looking to expand to other locations around the Irish coast, adapting the nature of the restoration to fit geographical requirements. They hope that companies will partner with them by selecting their coffee products as part of a larger effort to fund and spread awareness about this important cause. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vasileia Fanarioti (she/her) is a senior online correspondent for Barista Magazine, and a freelance copywriter and editor with a primary focus on the coffee niche. She has also been a volunteer copywriter for the I’M NOT A BARISTA NPO, providing content to help educate people about baristas and their work. You can follow her adventures at thewanderingbean.net.

The post The Green Ocean Coffee Project Is Reviving Clew Bay appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

This article was first published here.

We uncover more of PDX’s specialty-coffee standouts: Keeper Coffee Co., Proud Mary, and Guilder Café.

BY EMILY JOY MENESES
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE

Feature photo by Peter Bucks via Unsplash

In part one of our Portland Café Guide, we began our exploration of the city’s ever-expanding specialty-coffee scene with notable cafés Prince Coffee, Deadstock Coffee, Portland Cà Phê, and FUTURA Coffee. However, these four cafés make up just a small fraction of the list of PDX coffeehouses worth visiting—and so we’re continuing our journey through the City of Roses with Keeper Coffee Co., Proud Mary, and Guilder Café.

Keeper Coffee Co.

Located in Southeast Portland’s Woodstock neighborhood, Keeper Coffee is notable for a multitude of reasons. Reigning USBC champ Morgan Eckroth, who currently works at Keeper, shared their thoughts on what makes the café stand out.

“Keeper is a really special café,” Morgan shares. “It’s tucked away within a dense neighborhood and has become such a community hub. On top of a great coffee program, we also have a fantastic baking team and an impressive showcase.”

“Really, though, we’re a café that’s people-focused, and we take a lot of pride in our hospitality,” Morgan continues. “Whether you’re getting a bite to go or staying awhile, it’s a lovely spot with something for everyone.”

Proud Mary Coffee

Anyone with their toes in the Portland specialty-coffee scene knows that Proud Mary is a must-try. Husband and wife Nolan and Shari Hirte founded Proud Mary in 2009 in Melbourne, Australia, eventually opening locations in Austin, Texas, and Northeast Portland’s Alberta Arts District.

Aside from their exceptional offerings (many of which are Cup of Excellence coffees), Proud Mary also has a great Aussie-inspired food program. The café offers all-day breakfast, lunch, tea, fresh juice and smoothies, and baked goods, made with fresh and sustainably, ethically, and locally sourced produce.

“We blend the innovative spirit of Melbourne’s coffee culture with Portland’s adventurous taste buds,” reads the café’s mission statement. “The result is a refined yet experimental approach to our food, beverage, and service. We joyfully nerd out on the product, the people, and the process that brings it all together.”

Guilder Café/Junior’s Roasted Coffee

Founded by Caryn and Mike Nelson and partners Tony Roberts and Carrie Lind, Guilder Café gets its name from the movie/book The Princess Bride—a theme that’s present throughout the café’s menu, design, and packaging. The café has two locations: the “East” location in Northeast Portland’s Alameda-Irvington neighborhood and the “West” location inside of Powell’s City of Books. The East location features a micro-roastery—Junior’s Roasted Coffee—with its own café located on NE Prescott Street.

Another notable thing about Guilder/Junior’s: the founders’ dedication to ethically and sustainably sourced coffee. In 2018, Guilder’s founders launched the Cost of Production Covered Project to serve as their guide to green coffee-buying practices.

Working with importers and exporters that they know and trust, they aim to identify farms that are willing to collaborate on long-term projects and hope that transparent coffee-buying practices will help inform consumers about the hidden costs of other food systems, and will motivate larger coffee companies to buy more sustainably.

“When (we) started Junior’s, (we) wanted to think deeper about what makes a good roasting company,” founder Caryn Nelson shares. They wanted sound environmental and social conditions at the farm level, as well as equitable trade practices between all supply stream partners. That includes how they operate their business in Portland and share their coffee story with consumers. “While quality is about roasting coffee to best suit its terroir, and brewing it to best represent all of the hard work and dedication that poured into that product from seed to cup, (we) wanted specialty coffee to mean more than just excellent taste,” Caryn says.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Joy Meneses (she/they) is a writer and musician based in Los Angeles. Her hobbies include foraging, cortados, vintage synths, and connecting with her Filipino roots through music, art, food, and beverage.

The post The Portland Café Guide: Redux appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

This article was first published here.

Aromatic, floral, and delicately sweet, lychee adds a special touch to any beverage.

BY EMILY JOY MENESES
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE

Cover photo by Jamie Trinh via Unsplash

Spring is here in the Northern Hemisphere. That means that fresh fruit and floral flavors are once again taking center stage in the food and beverage world. Looking for ingredients to brighten up your at-home beverages or café drinks? There’s a world beyond the typical go-to like citrus or strawberry. In today’s installment of “Know Your Ingredients,“ we’re exploring lychee. This aromatic, floral, and delicately sweet fruit has its roots in southern China. Its cultivation has become an international affair, and now the fruit is making itself known in the specialty-coffee world.  

Chinese Roots

In the modern world, lychee is grown throughout Asia, the Indian subcontinent, South Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean, and certain parts of North America. However, we can trace the fruit’s earliest roots specifically to southern China. Documented lychee cultivation dates as far back as the 11th century.  

The small, sweet fruit is often associated with Yang Yuhuan, a consort of Emperor Xuan Zhong from 713 to 756 A.D. Yang Yuhuan was known to love lychee so much that the emperor would have couriers travel for thousands of miles between the capital city and Guangdong, where it was grown, to have the fruit brought to her.

Lychee in the Western World

From China, lychee cultivation would spread over several thousand years to other parts of the world via trade and travel. In the 1850s, gold miners from modern-day Egypt transported trees with them to Australia. There, the trees experienced a wonderfully long season, producing fruit from late October to late March—the longest lychee production season in the world.

Lychee trees first reached the United States in the early 1900s, when a missionary named William Brewster imported them from China to central Florida. It is very much an internationally grown crop today, though its roots in China are still recognized.

Flavor Profile 

Beneath the rough skin of the fruit is sweet, succulent white flesh bursting with juice. Light and aromatic, lychee has a slightly floral flavor (most similar to rose), and its taste is akin to that of a pear or grape with a hint of citrus. Because its flavor is so delicate, the fruit loses a lot of its flavor when cooked—so, when incorporating lychee into recipes, it’s best to use the raw fruit and its juices.

Lychee in the Specialty-Coffee World

Lychee has long been a favorite at Asian boba shops and teahouses. It has shown up recently within the specialty-coffee world as well. We love Los Angeles-based Kumquat Coffee’s take on the fruit: their seasonal Lychee Hongcha is an iced milk tea made with lychee syrup and black tea steeped from leaves grown in Korea, all topped with dried rose petals.

Beautifully floral and delicately sweet, lychee serves as a great alternative to your typical fruit flavors, and we hope to see more of it in the specialty-coffee world as time goes on.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Joy Meneses (she/they) is a writer and musician based in Los Angeles. Her hobbies include foraging, cortados, vintage synths, and connecting with her Filipino roots through music, art, food, and beverage.

The post Know Your Ingredients: Lychee appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

This article was first published here.