Blue Palm Coffee has just opened up on Deansgate and is selling some of the most sought-after coffee in the world
Blue Palm Coffee on Deansgate (Image: Manchester Evening News)
Grown at high altitude in rich volcanic soil, Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is one of the most sought-after varieties in the world. Referred to as the ‘Champagne of coffee’ it boasts an exceptionally smooth flavour profile and has a rich, sweet, and mild taste with almost no bitterness.
Only coffee grown in a designated small area of Jamaica’s Blue Mountains can bear the name, and it accounts for less than 1% of global coffee production. That means its incredibly hard to come by, but walk past John Rylands Library right now and you’ll notice a bright blue trailer brewing these very covetable beans.
The family-run mobile coffee trailer, known as Blue Palm Coffee, is new to the city but has becoming an expert on this rare coffee variety for several years now. “About three years ago my family moved to Kingston in Jamaica for work – they took the dogs and my brother,” jokes Ollie Lambert, who stayed behind whilst studying in Scotland.
Screenshot(Image: Supplied)
“I spent some time over there as well and visited the Blue Mountains – coffee is very big over there. I’m close to my mum too and she said we should really be doing something.
“I’d just finished studying and decided to do it so we began importing the coffee and getting the trailer designed. We opened in June in Dundee where I went to university, and fine tuned it just specialising in this type of coffee, which people call the ‘best’ coffee bean in the world.”
Ollie says the quality and rarity of the bean was something that really attracted them to the coffee, but also the smooth taste. “The region is a really small place and only produces a very low yield – most people only get to try it a few times in their life.
Grown at high altitude in rich volcanic soil, Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is one of the most sought-after varieties in the world
“The quality comes from that very specific microclimate, and the result is super smooth, not bitter at all. It’s approachable yet refined with the usual chocolate flavours, and nutty too.”
In terms of experience, Ollie has worked as a supervisor in a coffee shop and been a barista, but being over in Jamaica he was able to visit coffee farms, speaking to famers and learn about the entire process of bean to cup.
After Dundee they moved the trailer to Swindon where Ollie’s parents had moved back to after their job contracts wrapped up in Jamaica. This meant his mum could be more involved in the business. Then recently they decided to bring the concept to Manchester.
Referred to as the ‘Champagne of coffee’ it boasts an exceptionally smooth flavour profile(Image: Manchester Evening News)
“I was born in the North West and my family are from here, plus I have contacts and friends in Manchester. I saw Spinningfields online and enquired about having our trailer there and they were happy to have us as soon as possible. There’s so much going on around Deansgate and the coffee scene here is amazing.”
They’re currently outside John Rylands Library until the end of the week (Sunday 15), and then move to Mollie’s in the St John’s district just down the road until the middle of March, before heading back to Deansgate.
The coffee van is situated outside John Rylands Library but will soon move to St John’s just down the road (Image: Manchester Evening News)
Options for customers include espresso, long black, americano, cortado, flat white, latte, cappuccino and mocha as well as iced options like the iced latte and mocha and espresso tonic. To upgrade to 100% Jamaican Blue Mountain costs an extra £1.50.
“We offer a blend of Blue with milkier coffee like a latte or cappuccino, but in terms of the single origin, really premium stuff, we recommend as little milk as possible, so for a long black, americano or espresso, that means it doesn’t get disrupted by the by the milk once you steam it.”
Ollie had previous experience working in coffee shops (Image: Manchester Evening News)
There’s also frappes, smoothies, soft drinks, as well as matcha, chai, hot chocolate and iced matcha. There’s alternative milks and flavoured syrups too.
Ollie’s made sure to visit and try the other coffee shops nearby like Federal and Fort, who he describes as ‘super friendly’ and ‘very knowledgeable’. “We want to make this our base, and stay here and progress in whatever way that goes.
Blue Palm Coffee is now in Manchester (Image: Manchester Evening News)
“The dream has always been to have more than one coffee trailer. People don’t usually get to try this variety of coffee and we would like to make it available – that’s one of our main goals as Manchester is the perfect place to do it.
“The easiest thing is the people that I work with, my best friend from Scotland has moved down to help me, she’s super supportive and has worked in cafes – that’s made my life easy. It means I have someone next to me helping and also my family and siblings have been helping out – it’s easy work when you have someone you love and trust by your side.