WHEN it comes to growing coffee beans, it's not Brazil it's Northern Ireland . . .
Because for the first time ever, a Lisburn coffee roaster is planning to cultivate and grow its own beans on home soil, or rather home laboratory.
Johnstons Coffee - which for more than a century has been producing coffees using the finest Arabica beans from around the globe - has liaised with Bangor horticulturist David Pattison to produce more than a dozen coffee plants at a location in Co Down.
And while next year's harvest won't trouble major coffee-producing nations like Brazil, Vietnam or Columbia, who between them produce five million metric tonnes of coffee a year, it will at least offer a unique cup of coffee for Johnstons.
The company's sales director Philip Mills said: "Coffee is grown around the equator in countries rich in volcanic mineral soils, having specific temperature and rainfall tolerances.
"But we have replicated the growing conditions in a controlled setting to allow us to produce and roast coffee grown right here in Northern Ireland.
"We’re really looking forward to producing and tasting our very own home grown cup of Johnsons Coffee.”
David Pattison, who established Plantations Garden Design in 1999, added: "It's been a hugely interest challenge, replicating the climatic conditions, with temperature, humidity and light all being important factors that need to be considered.
"All he plants we are growing are very healthy, and I'm sure in time they will bear fruit and produce decent coffee beans.”
Mills added: "Whether the first cup will match up to the other award-winning blends and brands Johnsons Coffee produce, only time will tell.
"But the experience and expertise that has been gained, as well as the educational aspect of the project, has been invaluable, with many staff from local coffee shops, restaurants, business and hotels now being able to understand and see the complete process at first hand of how a cup of coffee is produced."
He added: "It's not a long term plan to grow our own beans locally, but I’m certainly looking forward to my first cup of Northern Ireland coffee.”
