Coffee

Waitrose knows each of its coffee growers personally.

We are proud that our own-label coffee beans come from defined sources as part of our coffee provenance promise. This unique position has been achieved by establishing long term, sustainable relationships with all our coffee producers around the world, including Colombia, India and Indonesia.

Waitrose customers already know where Waitrose dairy foods, meat, poultry, fruit and vegetables come from and now the same can be said for our coffee beans, which proves that close relationships can exist in the developing world as well as on our doorstep.

Waitrose knows each of its coffee growers personally and we receive assurances over the methods used and quality produced. We are committed to working closely with our coffee producers to ensure they produce top quality beans without cutting corners. Traditional and modern techniques are combined to great effect while the arrangement ensures trade is ethical and employees are treated fairly. The coffee growers know they get a guaranteed above market rate premium and our customers get a better coffee.

All Waitrose Colombian coffee, for example, comes from just two family estates. The Cafe Mesa de los Santos is owned by Oswaldo Acevedo, who grows all Waitrose organic coffee. Brothers Alesandro and Andres Restrepo own the El Encanto estate, which produces all the other Colombian coffee in the range.

From an unrivalled selection from around the globe, choose from the likes of Mocha Sidamo from Ethiopia or Monsooned Malabar from India. Each one has been sourced from farms distinguished by the Waitrose provenance promise so Waitrose customers can enjoy only the very best coffee.

Try these:

Follow our step by step guide to the perfect filter coffee or try these recipes for the perfect Café creations at home:

Creamy cappucino

An Italian favourite that is really easy to make. It should be one third coffee, one third milk and one third froth.

Make single strength coffee (using your preferred method) from Waitrose Rich Italian Continental Blend. Heat some milk, then froth with a whisk or cappuccino frother.

Add a little hot milk to the coffee and stir. Spoon the froth over the coffee. Then sprinkle with a little ground cinnamon or use nutmeg or hot chocolate powder if you prefer.

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Luxury liqueur coffee

A superb way to round off dinner. Sip the coffee through the cream to be really indulgent.

Makes two glasses

Make a pot of filter coffee using Waitrose Java. Add a generous slug of brandy and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Stir, then pour into heatproof glasses or cups.

Top with double cream poured slowly over the back of a dessert spoon. This helps to stop the cream sinking. Decorate with coffee beans if you wish.

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Marvellous mocha

Chocolate and coffee are a superb combination and this is perfect for a lazy afternoon. Makes one glass.

Make double strength coffee (using your preferred method) from Waitrose Mocha Blend. Add hot milk and sugar to taste.

Put 1-1½ tablespoons of finely chopped Waitrose Continental Chocolate into a heatproof glass. Pour boiling milk onto it to fill about one-third of the glass. Stir to dissolve the chocolate.

Pour the milky coffee slowly over the back of a spoon. It should sit on top of the chocolate so you can see two layers in the glass.

Froth some more hot milk with a whisk or cappuccino frother. Spoon onto the coffee. Top with chocolate shavings and stir.

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Cook's tips

Make hot milk frothy using a battery operated whisk. Adding sugar to the coffee helps all the flavours come out. If you don't normally take sugar, try it - it works.

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