There are two sorts of coffee drinkers.

The first can discuss beans, origins, roasting and extraction with impressive seriousness.

The second says:

Large latte, please.

We know who we are.

For most of us, the important questions happen later.

Is it hot?

Is it good?

And most importantly:

Has it started working yet?

Because before the first coffee of the morning, nobody needs us investigating anything more complicated than that.

But there is an interesting question hiding inside the cup.

Where was the coffee actually roasted?

At The Bean Around in Cathedral Square, the answer is rather pleasing.

Peterborough.

Hang On They Roast It Here?

Yes.

The Bean Around is a family-owned café and roastery, and its coffee is roasted locally in small batches.

Which immediately makes your morning coffee a little more interesting.

Because most of us see the finished bit.

Cup.

Milk.

Coffee.

Possibly a biscuit we absolutely did not need but somehow bought anyway.

We don't normally think about the beans arriving before somebody has roasted them and worked out how they want that coffee to taste.

Suddenly your flat white has a backstory.

What Does Roasting Actually Do?

Coffee beans don't begin life looking like the dark brown beans we're used to seeing.

Roasting is the bit that develops much of the aroma and flavour we associate with coffee.

And small-batch roasting gives the roaster the opportunity to pay close attention to what is happening with each batch.

You don't need to understand any of this to enjoy it.

There will be no exam.

Nobody is going to confiscate your cappuccino because you can't explain a roast profile.

But it is rather nice knowing somebody locally has been involved with your coffee before the person behind the counter starts making it.

Does That Mean You Have To Become A Coffee Person?

Absolutely not.

This is important.

You are still allowed to order exactly what you like.

Nobody needs to start saying things such as:

“I'm getting notes of stone fruit.”

Particularly at 8.30 in the morning.

If your professional coffee review consists of:

“Ooh, that's nice.”

we consider that entirely acceptable.

But next time you're in Cathedral Square, there is something quite satisfying about knowing that the coffee you're drinking wasn't simply made here.

The beans were roasted here too.

And That's The Bit We Like

Taste Trail isn't only about finding another café.

It's about finding the little stories behind the things we're eating and drinking.

The baker behind the cake.

The farmer behind the beef.

The person making the beer.

The family behind the takeaway you've been ordering from for years.

And, in this case, the people roasting the coffee before it reaches your cup.

Those details turn “somewhere to get coffee” into somewhere worth knowing about.

Although, admittedly, none of this changes the most important test.

Take a sip.

Wait approximately thirty seconds.

Then ask:

“Do I feel more capable of dealing with people now?”

If the answer is yes, the coffee is doing excellent work.

Now Tell Us Yours

Where do you go for a really good coffee around Peterborough?

And don't just give us the name.

Tell us your order.

Flat white?

Espresso?

Americano?

Cappuccino?

Latte with enough syrup in it to make an Italian quietly leave the room?

We want to know. Post your comments below. Because we're building Peterborough's coffee trail one cup at a time.