We use speciality-grade Guatemalan coffee in our Mr Crawford's Coffee, to help achieve a lighter, brighter coffee with delicious sweet and fruity notes. But what of the history of this South American coffee? Why not sit down with a cuppa and read our (coffee) potted history!
It's believed that coffee first came to Guatemala in the mid 1700s when some Jesuit missionaries brought coffee trees into the country to use as decoration. And it remained under the radar for over 100 years.
During this time the country had an extremely successful dyeing industry using natural indigo and cochineal. At the peak of this industry, over 2 million pesos worth of indigo was exported each year. However in 1856 this natural dying industry began to decline irreversibly with the invention of synthetic dyes. This had a huge impact on the Guatemalan economy but was also the push needed for the country to grow and produce coffee on a commercial scale.
By the 1880's 90% of the country's export was coffee. Coffee has remained Guatemala's largest export ever since and is the 10th biggest coffee producer in the world. Not bad considering it started life in Guatemala as a decoration?!
Our Mr Crawford's coffee is a lighter, brighter coffee that is delicious made in a cafetiere, filter or aeropress. Make a flask of coffee, pack your picnic basket and enjoy this in an enamel cup in the Autumn sunshine!
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