Review: Gourmet Coffee Subscription Club Blue Coffee Box

If you were to ask my closest friends and family to describe me in a few words I would expect them to say something along the lines of animals, blogging, vegan, crafting and.. coffee! Coffee is a big thing in my family, fueled by my mother, it’s one thing that has always brought us together. My parents, sister and I all have the same bean to cup machine and always have beans, milk and syrup in stock for when people come to visit.

Coffee is particularly big around this time of year when the weather gets colder and more than ever we need a pick me up during a dark, grey day. Not forgetting, of course, that all the coffee shops are now pumping out their festive serves and filling the world with pumpkin spice, eggnog and black forest lattes. I can’t help but get swept up into the Christmas coffee whirlwind and recently purchased big bags of ‘Santa’s Blend’ to keep me going this festive season.

Although I do love a festive flavoured coffee bean, sometimes you just want a hit of something a bit more sophisticated and elegant so I was excited when I was offered the chance to review two speciality coffees from Blue Coffee Box who believe that coffee shouldn’t just be a tasteless cup of dodgy supermarket instant most likely made from low quality, stale beans but a luxury, unique experience with each sip.

They say that with the right climate, altitude, soil, landscape, processing and storing, the taste can be quite amazing and once you have experienced gourmet coffee, you won’t want anything else – so I was keen to put this to the test!

Blue Coffee Box source the top taste grading beans from around with world and work with the UK’s 300+ expert roasters who lovingly extract the maximum flavour from every bean to produce new and exciting flavours and coffees for coffee lovers like me and my family to enjoy.

Their coffees are ethically sourced directly from farmers and local cooperatives. Through the Direct Trade model, these farmers are paid around 30% more than the Fairtrade price which enables them to support their families and to invest in sustainable farming and the future.

Every subscription box boasts top quality coffee curated for personal tastes and preferences and delivered fresh to your door with notes. Blue Coffee Box introduces us to coffee varieties, countries, regions, and roasters we are unlikely to find in a supermarket.

I was sent two different coffees to try: Finca San Ernesto from El Salvador and Hunda Oli from Ethiopia. Both of these coffees have a beautiful dark colour with complex flavours which make me feel like a grown-up when drinking them (unlike my Santa’s blend!) You can really tell that there has been a lot of care and love put into producing them and it feels great to know that it comes from real people who have a passion for their product, rather than faceless mass-scale companies.

The Finca San Ernesto coffee comes from Comosagua in San Salvador and is a real family business, it is currently produced by six-generation brothers Enrique, Rene with father Gustavo keeping an eye on things. They have placed in the finals for Cup of Excellence seven times and have gained many accolades. Coffee on their 140 hectare farm has been awarded Denomination of Origin (DO) and is a sign of the standard of their product with characteristics from their geographical location. The coffee is described as having notes of chocolate, maple, orange and toffee.

The Hunda Oli coffee comes from Agaro in Limu and is produced by a new coffee farmer’s cooperative located in the forests of the region of Western Ethiopia. Coffee from this area has deeply complex nuances thanks to their location 2000 above sea level and with the inclusion of heirloom varieties. The smallholder farmers typically have less than 1 hectare of coffee grown in shade beneath indigenous trees – a massive contrast to the heavily managed farms from other coffee-producing areas. The coffee is described as having notes of apricot, jasmine and milk chocolate.

So, how does the subscription work? You can select either one coffee for £7.49 per month, or £15.49 for two coffees, both with free UK delivery. It contains full-size bags of coffee in their signature, stylish presentation box. The process to sign up is super easy, just go to their subscription page, select the options you want, your favourite brewing method and give them some details about the type of roast you prefer and if you want to include some de-caff options. The most popular option is the ‘surprise me’ option when Blue Coffee Box will choose for you!

I have been really inspired by the mission and product from Blue Coffee Box and I think that the subscription would make a great self-indulgent treat and an even better gift for anyone in your life who loves coffee.

I award them 5 out of 5 stars and am adding a subscription to my Christmas wish list right now!

If you want to try out their fabulous coffee for yourself you can get £3 off any product on their website with this discount code: MB3.