The Curator roasts speciality grade coffee beans in our bespoke Italian roaster using local and sustainable wood. We are one of the only roasters in the UK using wood to roast coffee, this makes the Curator coffee unique due to the slow, moisture-rich heat from the wood fire which allows the beans to keep their natural oils. The beautiful red roaster was made in Italy by Trabattoni, a family run business with generations of knowledge and experience in making wood-fired coffee roasters. This traditional machine now shares a space on Totnes Industrial Estate with our bakery. We are a business that has evolved with a small team of individuals passionate about coffee, good food and developing relationships with the local community. Our core values are to ensure our practices and products are sustainable, fair and the best quality.
COFFEE
We only source seasonal speciality beans with a scoring over 82. We are constantly striving to procure monovarietal beans whenever possible to celebrate the characteristic of each variety and ensure greater traceability. Our beans are ethically and responsibly sourced to ensure farmers receive fair pricing and that their communities are able to sustain long term and viable production.
WOOD
Using only sustainable local wood from fallen trees and die-back, wood is the fuel to our fire. As a heat source, the skilled roaster feeds the fire to maintain the optimum temperature for the required bean type and taste profile. The heat from a wood fire has more moisture which allows a slower roast, keeping more natural oils in the beans resulting in a less acidic, smoother finish. This is what gives the Curator coffee its unique taste and velvet finish.
TRADITION
We roast our beans to a medium roast following the northern Italian tradition to reach a higher body and lower acidity. To respect those traditions and achieve a full espresso experience we then blend most of our beans to create the perfect balanced cup. For home brewing we also offer single origins and take care to enhance the natural characteristics of the individual bean.
WOOD ROASTED COFFEE
RETAIL
How we Select our Coffees
Coffee is seasonal and this makes it exciting to be able to choose beans for their individual characteristics that will slightly alter the roasting and drinking experience throughout the year. We buy only speciality beans rated at 82 or above, so that consistent levels of quality are guaranteed. We then roast them to develop their individual traits and blend to enhance a perfectly balanced flavour profile. When available we buy mono varietal beans produced by small-scale nurturing farmers who really care about their coffee and plant according to decades of experience. The instincts of a coffee grower are similar to those of a person developing grape varieties for wine as both assess the terrain, soil content and seasonal variations when setting down roots for their crop. Whether a single variety bean or a blend, we roast small batches as frequently as required ensuring the freshness of the beans.
How we Roast and Blend
We monitor quality, taste and aroma at every stage, cupping to record the flavour attributes of the beans and creating a taste profile for each bean. Following this, in the Italian tradition we blend different beans together to create the perfect espresso blend. We repeat the cupping process for the espresso blends to ensure a perfectly balanced coffee which acknowledges the flavour qualities of each bean whilst being a great overall drinking experience. We may decide that a bean once roasted has such a flavour profile that it should be enjoyed alone, as a single origin bean, so we will choose to celebrate this. These will vary and are interesting for consumers to start exploring individual characteristics of different coffee beans.
Wholesale
We have ten years experience serving coffees in our busy cafe in Totnes as well as at markets and festivals and have a highly developed professional insight into what customers like as well as what baristas need. We can work with you to develop a blend for your customers and support your baristas in all areas of their work.
Training for Wholesale Buyers
We offer a full training package to your staff and welcome them to the roastery to see the full roasting process and can hold coffee training at The Curator or at your place of business. Whether it’s a refresher course you require or something that will significantly increase your knowledge of coffee, we can meet your needs.
Getting the Right Equipment
We can offer consultation regarding coffee equipment and are proud to be the distributors in Devon of Victoria Arduino.
All photographs and footage taken on-site at The Curator Totnes