Direct from the farm
Family farm near Acevedo, Huila, Colombia
Grown at 1,750 metres and washed. It reaches our shelf as Huila Pink Bourbon and Huila Sugarcane Decaf.
The roaster at 150 Foundry Lane
How we roast our coffee
We wanted guests to see where their coffee is made. So the roaster sits in the cafe, behind glass, and every bag on the shelf was roasted a few metres from where you buy it.
Behind the glass
A 15 kg drum roaster behind a glass wall
Our roaster stands in the cafe behind glass, so you can watch a roast from your seat. It is a 15 kg drum roaster, and one batch takes about 12 minutes from charge to cooling tray.
Roast days are Tuesday and Friday, from about 8:00. Come in on one of those mornings and watch Mara charge the drum with 15 kg of green coffee.
Roast days
When we roast
We roast on Tuesdays and Fridays, from about 8:00. Beans rest for at least 2 days before they go on the shelf, and nothing stays there more than three weeks.
| Day | Starts | On the drum |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | 8:00 | Huila Pink Bourbon, Sidama Bensa and Huila Sugarcane Decaf |
| Friday | 8:00 | Exchange House Espresso, Huehuetenango and Kirinyaga |
Two importers and two direct partners
Where our beans come from
We buy green coffee from two specialty importers, and directly from one farm in Huila, Colombia, and one washing station in Sidama, Ethiopia.
Direct from the washing station
Washing station near Bensa, Sidama, Ethiopia
Grown at 2,000 metres, washed and dried on raised beds. It reaches our shelf as Sidama Bensa.
Who roasts
Mara, our head roaster
Mara learned to roast on a 1 kg sample roaster. She is at the drum on Tuesdays and Fridays from about 8:00, cups every batch before it goes on the shelf and runs the cupping on the first Saturday of each month.
Meet the people behind Prairie Ash
Free, no need to sign up
Free public cupping
We set out the coffees we are roasting in small bowls. You smell them dry, then wet, then taste with a spoon and compare notes with Mara. No experience needed.