QC & Coffee Advisory service
Always Be Cupping is more than a silly meme (H/T to Nat Morth) or a tag on an Instagram story, it’s now the name of my Coffee QC and Advisory service – and if you like, a philosophy. After all every day is a school day and cupping is all about learning.
Like any Advisory service, you are getting access to the person heading it, in this case Me (did i tell you one of my nicknames is googlemat yet?). What I hope makes this a little different is the aim to make it as easy to access as possible, advice is free, longer term work will be charged.
For any of the below services, you can find my details on the contacts page.
Services:
Green Coffee Sample Evaluation
A full physical and sensory QC lab service will be available soon with bespoke reports including: defect count, density, moisture %, aW, UV analysis, fade risk assessment etc. This is an excellent place to start for producers or roasters looking for feedback on green purchases or to mitigate disputes. Scoring can be done to SCA/CQI 2004 or SCA CVA standards.
Roasted Coffee Scoring and Assessment
Roasted coffee cupped and scored plus assessed for potential roast defects. Scoring to SCA/CQI 2004 or CVA standards.
Green Coffee Strategies
Buying green coffee is both easier and harder than ever and one of the biggest things small businesses can benefit from is a defined strategy. I can help you define this, choose suppliers and assess coffees.
Small Business Advice and Workspace Planning
This can range from business planning to workspace dynamics, having worked in, built and run cafes, roasteries and labs, I can advise on everything from hiring to equipment purchases and workflow.
Competition Coaching
With 10+ years WCC judging experience across Europe, I’m available to coach both competitors and judges as the rules allow. Most recently coached the Danish Brewers Cup Champion at the 2026 World Brewers Cup.
Mentoring
Sometimes we are not looking for something specific, we need help with a situation, finding our place in the industry or discovering what interests us and how best to pursue it. These are the most interesting and exciting questions and conversations we can have, and I’m here to have them.
Prices:
- Roasted Coffee Scoring: £20 per sample
- Green Sample Evaluation: TBC
All other services are free for the first consultation with ongoing prices determined based on means and needs.
Further Resources:
Its important to recognise that we are not good at everything, so here is who I recommend for larger scale or more origin based work:
Coffee Nexus
John Thomson provides a full stack of services from Green sourcing and supply chain management to product testing and roasting system analysis. Highly Recommended.
Christopher Feran
Christopher Feran should need no introduction, as well as a full suite of QC and Sourcing strategies, He’s a proven expert in the field of post-harvest quality managment
Cafe Y Processos SAS
Based in Pereira, Colombia, Olga, Hernando and the team have been working with and supporting producers all across South and Central America for years. Experts in sensory assessment and all aspects of post-harvest processing. cafeyprocessos@gmail.com
Miguel Mendoza Farjardo
Coffee producer and systems engineer, Miguel has extensive knowledge in farm planning, agronomy and processing. He also runs a small batch roastery, Guada Cafe and is a founding director of Raw Material Coffee. miguel@rawmaterial.coffee
Luxia Coffee Solutions
Lucia Solis is a name you should know, Her work in coffee fermentation and processing has set the standards worldwide. Her Fermentation Training Camp is highly recommended.
Soil Symbiotics / Sam Knowlton
Sam Knowlton has 17 yrs of field experience across multiple crops and origins and is currently spearheading the installation of pilot regenerative coffee demonstration farms across South America. If you need to know about your soil (and more) He’s your guy.
Poma Coffee Research
Whilst the headline is often that they grow coffee in Copenhagen, Rasmus Madsen and the team at Poma Coffee are dedicated to providing research driven agronomy advisory solutions to producers worldwide. The work they do is nothing short of revolutionary.