Once upon a time, a century ago, coffee spread from Ethiopia to Ceylon, Ceylon was a major exporter of coffee. Then disease struck, the coffee trees were wiped out and had to be destroyed to stop, in vein, to try and halt the disease from spreading. Coffee was replaced by tea.
There is now an effort to establish the island’s coffee heritage, old trees located, new trees grown.
Coffee needs a coffee shop.
Ceylon House of Coffee is owned by the owner of a Ceylon coffee planation. High altitude arabica.
It was with trepidation I visited, my expectations low.
Ceylon House of Coffee is to recreate a traditional coffee house. Never having visited one, I would not know, but on walking in, I was transported to what in my mind’s eye I would expect, with the exception of modern espresso machine and a grinder.
I was introduced to the manager and head barista Rohan Pitumpe and spent the rest of the day talking all things coffee until well after the coffee shop had closed.
The coffee is roasted in Sri Lanka then shipped to England. As a general rule, added value in the source country is always a good idea, but for coffee no. Roasted coffee beans do not travel well, there is a risk of contamination, risk of delay, and with UK leaving EU this can only get worse with chaos at the borders. Already companies are stockpiling in anticipation of chaos in the New Year.
The coffee beans must be shipped to UK as green beans, then roasted locally by a skilled coffee roaster. Supply the green beans from Ceylon to a local roastery in UK, then supply the roasted beans to the coffee shop in Guildford.
If coffee is roasted locally, it will suit local palates, local water, and will not encounter supply delay.
Around the walls, information on the farm and history of coffee in Ceylon.
Very elegant coffee cups, equally elegant tea cups. Again reminiscent of what would expect of a traditional tea or coffee house.
The only time I have seen cups like this was in Ben Rahim, an Arabic coffee shop in Berlin.
A long time opening, Problems with the builders, then covid-19 lockdown.
Open space in the middle, wooden floor, it could be a cabaret dance floor, tables and chairs arranged around the periphery. Difficult to see what could be done with this open space. If tables and chairs, would be an obstruction to the bar. It could be one large old table, a communal table.
Large floor to ceiling windows which makes open and airy in daylight hours.
A coffee shop needs outdoor seating for the summer. This Ceylon House of Coffee lacks though has applied for permission. It would though be difficult as on a slope and not pleasant with passing traffic.
With changing coronavirus situation, opening hours are in flux, currently open until six thirty in the evening. Too late in the winter cold and dark and folk wish to get home. In the summer could be later.
In the future they hope to offer coffee related events.
And the coffee?
For a change, I chose an espresso. Not harsh, but could be better.
Followed by a cappuccino.
I did not have to send the cappuccino back, I did not have to say no chocolate. I was not asked did I want chocolate? I was served a cappuccino with no chocolate dumped on top. Why do so many coffee shops get it wrong?
The cappuccino, a little weak.
But the beans are roasted in Ceylon, then shipped to UK, far from ideal.
I looked forward to a shipment of green beans, roasted locally.
Currently it is not possible to purchase the coffee beans, but hopefully this will change when coffee is roasted locally.
Ceylon House of Coffee has on sale, of course, Ceylon tea.
For reasons unknown, Ceylon House of Coffee has been targeted by trolls and very unpleasant fake reviews. Please ignore. Pay a visit and be pleasantly surprised.
I came way from Ceylon House of Coffee pleasantly surprised. It was a pleasure to visit. Sadly not often I feel that way, therefore always a pleasant surprise to find a coffee shop where they care about coffee. Such coffee shops do exist, but it is finding them, too many people open coffee shops, and roasteries, caring nothing about coffee and knowing even less.
We now have two excellent coffee shops in Guildford, Krema in Tunsgate and Ceylon House of Coffee at the bottom of the High Street.
Coronavirus biosecurity excellent. Open and airy, high ceiling, table and chairs well spaced apart, hand sanitiser as walk in.
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