40 min

The Rise and Fall of Jamaican Blue Mountain Adventures In Coffee

    • Food

Jools' investigation into this elusive coffee will leave your taste buds clamouring for the sweet and fruity notes of Blue Mountain Coffee…

When was the last time you encountered Jamaican coffee in your favourite cafe? Chances are, unless you frequent the high-end establishments of Mayfair (or happen to be royalty), the answer may well be "never."

In this special episode, Jools takes Scott on a poignant personal journey into the land of her paternal heritage while casting light on Jamaican coffee's fascinating and disturbing past.

Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee was once considered the cream of the coffee crop, but plummeting production beneath an ominous veil of secrecy has left the country's coffee industry in crisis.

Along the way, the author of "The Mother of Us All", Karla Gottlieb, paints a picture of a paradise island invaded by colonialists and the ingenious fightback by a cunning queen. Smith's Coffee's Colin Smith explains the historical quirks that have led to most Jamaican coffee being sold to Japan.

Dominic Wyndham-Gittens of Wyndhams Coffee Roasters in Barbados points the finger at the Jamaican coffee industry's painful decline.

And Marshalee Valentine, President of JAWiC, offers a glimpse of hope for some green shoots of recovery.

Content Warning: This episode contains mentions/descriptions of slavery and violence against enslaved people that can be disturbing or triggering.




Join our Patreon to support the show! https://bit.ly/3vrispx

Jamaican Women in Coffee: https://bit.ly/3tBFBpL
Karla Gottlieb book, “Queen Nanny: The Mother of Us All” - https://bit.ly/3x4N95p
Lisa Hanna’s article on the state of the Jamaican coffee industry: https://bit.ly/39sCsSb
Video of a Jamaican coffee farmer discussing the state of the industry : https://bit.ly/3NODsPF
Taino Calling Song - https://bit.ly/3x5LlKx
Smith’s Coffee - https://bit.ly/3akAfs8
HR Higgins Instagram (https://bit.ly/3yRqY4T)
Wyndham’s Coffee - https://bit.ly/3MXzcgl

Find your perfect roast with the Ikawa Home: https://bit.ly/3IdYVPc
Visiting Bristol? Follow Bank on Instagram (https://bit.ly/3aOqXES).

Learn more about the Siemens EQ700 fully automatic espresso machine: https://bit.ly/3Ia8yy5
Listen to our episode about Hansa coffee in Sri Lanka: https://bit.ly/3zDwpVK

Take a screenshot and tell your friends about Adventures in Coffee!

Tag our Instagram handles:
James Harper / Filter Stories: https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O
Jools Walker / Lady Velo: http://bit.ly/39VRGew
Scott Bentley / Caffeine Magazine: https://bit.ly/3oijQ91


#behikesanakori #tainocallingsong #tainopeoplestillexist #arayekeyukayek

Jools' investigation into this elusive coffee will leave your taste buds clamouring for the sweet and fruity notes of Blue Mountain Coffee…

When was the last time you encountered Jamaican coffee in your favourite cafe? Chances are, unless you frequent the high-end establishments of Mayfair (or happen to be royalty), the answer may well be "never."

In this special episode, Jools takes Scott on a poignant personal journey into the land of her paternal heritage while casting light on Jamaican coffee's fascinating and disturbing past.

Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee was once considered the cream of the coffee crop, but plummeting production beneath an ominous veil of secrecy has left the country's coffee industry in crisis.

Along the way, the author of "The Mother of Us All", Karla Gottlieb, paints a picture of a paradise island invaded by colonialists and the ingenious fightback by a cunning queen. Smith's Coffee's Colin Smith explains the historical quirks that have led to most Jamaican coffee being sold to Japan.

Dominic Wyndham-Gittens of Wyndhams Coffee Roasters in Barbados points the finger at the Jamaican coffee industry's painful decline.

And Marshalee Valentine, President of JAWiC, offers a glimpse of hope for some green shoots of recovery.

Content Warning: This episode contains mentions/descriptions of slavery and violence against enslaved people that can be disturbing or triggering.




Join our Patreon to support the show! https://bit.ly/3vrispx

Jamaican Women in Coffee: https://bit.ly/3tBFBpL
Karla Gottlieb book, “Queen Nanny: The Mother of Us All” - https://bit.ly/3x4N95p
Lisa Hanna’s article on the state of the Jamaican coffee industry: https://bit.ly/39sCsSb
Video of a Jamaican coffee farmer discussing the state of the industry : https://bit.ly/3NODsPF
Taino Calling Song - https://bit.ly/3x5LlKx
Smith’s Coffee - https://bit.ly/3akAfs8
HR Higgins Instagram (https://bit.ly/3yRqY4T)
Wyndham’s Coffee - https://bit.ly/3MXzcgl

Find your perfect roast with the Ikawa Home: https://bit.ly/3IdYVPc
Visiting Bristol? Follow Bank on Instagram (https://bit.ly/3aOqXES).

Learn more about the Siemens EQ700 fully automatic espresso machine: https://bit.ly/3Ia8yy5
Listen to our episode about Hansa coffee in Sri Lanka: https://bit.ly/3zDwpVK

Take a screenshot and tell your friends about Adventures in Coffee!

Tag our Instagram handles:
James Harper / Filter Stories: https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O
Jools Walker / Lady Velo: http://bit.ly/39VRGew
Scott Bentley / Caffeine Magazine: https://bit.ly/3oijQ91


#behikesanakori #tainocallingsong #tainopeoplestillexist #arayekeyukayek

40 min