You've seen "specialty coffee" on menus and bags for years. But what does it actually mean, and why does it make a difference to what's in your cup? Here's the honest answer.
Specialty coffee isn't a marketing term. It's a grading standard, and a fairly demanding one. Coffee scoring 80 points or above on a 100-point scale set by the Specialty Coffee Association qualifies as specialty. Most commercial coffee doesn't come close. The difference shows up in the cup in ways that are hard to ignore once you've tasted it.
At Fable, specialty coffee is where everything starts. Understanding a little about how it gets from a farm to your flat white makes the whole experience richer. Here's a quick guide to the journey.
The journey from bean to cup
1
Origin and farming
Specialty coffee starts at altitude, typically between 1,000 and 2,000 metres above sea level. The combination of temperature, soil, and rainfall slows the growth of the coffee cherry, concentrating its sugars and developing complexity. The best lots are hand-picked, only ripe cherries, selected individually rather than stripped from the branch in one pass.
2
Processing
Once picked, the coffee cherry is processed to remove the fruit and extract the green bean inside. Washed coffees are clean and bright. Natural-processed coffees develop deeper, fruitier flavour profiles. Honey-processed sits somewhere between the two.
3
Roasting
Green beans are flavourless. Roasting is where the chemistry happens. Sugars caramelise, acids develop, aromatic compounds form. Specialty roasters roast lighter to preserve the origin character of the bean rather than developing a uniform roast flavour that masks it.
4
Grinding
Grind size determines how quickly water extracts soluble compounds from the coffee. Too fine and the cup is bitter and over-extracted. Too coarse and it's thin and sour. Dialling in the grind, adjusting for the bean, the roast date, and the humidity in the room, is something our baristas do every morning.
5
Extraction and serving
Water temperature, pressure, contact time, and the skill of the person making it all play a role. A well-extracted espresso has sweetness, body, and a finish that lingers. Properly steamed milk rounds out the flavour and adds texture. This is what a flat white should feel like.
"Every cup of specialty coffee carries a story, from the farmer who picked it to the barista who made it. We think that story is worth knowing."
The Fable team
What's on the Fable coffee menu
The Fable coffee menu covers the full range, from short and concentrated to long and milky. Each drink is made from the same carefully sourced espresso base, which means the quality carries through regardless of what you order.
Short
Espresso and macchiato
The most concentrated expression of the bean. Intense, sweet, and over quickly. The macchiato adds just a touch of steamed milk.
Balanced
Cortado and flat white
Equal parts espresso and milk, or close to it. The sweet spot for those who want both the coffee flavour and the texture of steamed milk.
Milky
Latte and cappuccino
More milk, softer flavour. The cappuccino is frothier, the latte is silkier. Both are reliably good when the espresso underneath is worth drinking.
Black
Long black and americano
Espresso extended with hot water. Clean, clear, and a good way to taste the origin character of the bean without milk getting in the way.
What this means at Fable
At Fable we work with roasters who can tell you exactly where a coffee came from, how it was processed, and why they roasted it the way they did. The espresso is developed to work across milk drinks and black coffee without compromise.
None of this requires you to know any of the above to enjoy it. But if you're curious, our baristas are always happy to talk through what's on and what to try. That's part of what makes specialty coffee worth drinking. There's always something new to discover.
Come and taste the difference.
Specialty espresso and a full coffee menu at Fable. Walk-ins welcome on Station Approach, Kew.
Visit Fable, Kew
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