The Island Tea & Coffee Co. - Ventnor

Jake Phillips

THIS IS NOT A COFFEE SHOP

Visited here during our holiday to the Isle of Wight. The website specified that we would be hosted by roaster Mike Townsend, but he was nowhere to be seen, and nothing mentioned about him not being there. We had someone called Sue, who was very knowledgeable in the area. Unfortunately the label machine wasn't working so didn't get the customised labels, but still got the coffee. We learnt about how roasting changes the tastes, the colours of the roast, and where it comes from etc.

Not something we would do again, not because we didn't enjoy it, we both did, we love experiencing food and drink BTS tours, just that if you go back, it'll be the same. Would recommend though.

Lewis Wheeler

Had a brilliant, hands on experience at The Island Tea & Coffee roasting experience today.
We were given a coffee each to enjoy while Mike, the master roaster, talked us through the history of the company and how it has helped take the Island's commercial coffee scene from 80% filter, 20% espresso based to 20% filter and 80% espresso based, as it is today.

We then went into the roasting room and were introduced to the Turkish Toper machine and the roast we would be assisting with today.

Mike talked us through how the science of the roasting process works to produce a Maillard process in the bean that makes the most of the flavours in the coffee, and what can happen if too much or too little heat is used and how the timing impacts on the taste.

We got to pull handles on the machine during the process, which was great fun.

It blew my mind that their entire coffee output is being produced from this one room, and how it is one person at a time taking sacks of dried coffee beans (cherry seeds) and producing perfectly roasted coffee beans (or ground coffee) ready for retail and hospitality use across the Island (and beyond).

We were given a 200g bag of coffee each to take away, of the coffee we had just roasted, and Mike even made personalised labels with our photo on, to finish the bags.

This was a brilliant experience and one I'd seen a few times on The Price is Wight and intended to do for ages, I only wish I'd done so sooner.

Adrian Wellock

Visited the Island Tea and Coffee co for thier Roasting Experience for two. The visit was great with lots of detailed information about the coffee process and the sciences behind how we end up with our final results that we drink. As a coffee lover this was right up my street!
It's as hands on as you can get for the process and you get to take away a bag of the roasted beans which I asked to be ground for my French press. They even custom print the label for your coffee bag!

Really enjoyed this. Mike was very polite and certainly knows his stuff.

Alex Watts

That Blue Mountain Blend turning up at business conferences is worth going for alone. Smooth, rich and the perfect blend.

Oscar Joyce

They do not sell coffee to drink only as beans to takeaway.

David Preston

Excellent morning at coffee roasting experience. Thoroughly recommended.

Carolyn Sibley

Excellent coffee

Solene Pasquier