We're finally here! Welcome to The Heel Hook Coffee Blog. My plan is to keep you informed of the goings on with the business, give my opinion on the Martial Arts World and talk endlessly (powered by caffeine) about our awesome Coffee.
My name is Greg and you can read a little bit about my story in the 'About' page of this site, but in short I am the founder of Heel Hook Coffee, BJJ purple belt out of Ocean BJJ (Checkmat Plymouth). I have opinions about everything, so writing a blog should be pretty straight forward. I thought I would start with a little bit on how I got to be running this business and, more importantly, where I want to go!
Inspiration and self doubt
The world of BJJ and martial arts is one full of inspiring stories, cool businesses and crazy mavericks.
I have dreamed of being a business owner for a long time and love to cheerlead and support any friends and team mates trying the road less traveled. When a friend and I started
talking about the idea of selling coffee, I was sure that someone must have had this idea before. In some ways that is right. There are lots of big and small coffee sellers out there with different methods and inspirations. But Jiu Jitsu? MMA? Martial Arts? Almost none. So I decided to take a risk.
The Highs and Lows of getting started
This idea began a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Talking to roasters, building a website, worrying about bank accounts and labels. Set backs in time and effort as well as money. More than the practicalities is the general sense that ones idea - Coffee inspired by Jiu Jitsu - would fall flat on it's face (it still might!). But once I started sharing my idea with training partners and family I was overwhelmed by the positive response and the interesting ideas and feedback that came to me.
The most important bit!
My favorite part of the journey so far has been trying and choosing coffee beans and blends. There are so many! The roaster, based in Dorset gave me advice and I tried lots of samples! One of the most crucial things I found was how important the brewing method was in creating the overall flavour profile. Espresso, french press or filter, it all makes a difference.
After a lot of trial and error, I landed on three blends and one single origin bean that I felt encapsulated a range of flavours and roasts that would get Heel Hook Coffee off to a good start.
Blend 1 - Daily Porrada: Medium Roast. This was one of my favorites from the first cup of espresso. Complex flavour profile with a balance of acidity and cherry fruitiness. I called it Daily Porrada after the famed Jiu Jitsu expression, because it is such a good blend for the everyday grind (see what I did there?). Morning brew or espresso pick-me-up. It's a winner everytime.
Blend 2 - The Americana: Dark Roast. This is a heavy hitter with heavy flavours like bourbon and treacle. If you like a coffee with personality, this blend has it in spades. It is also fully Fairtrade. All the beans are sourced from South America hence why I decided to call it Americana in homage.
Blend 3 - Rest Round: Dark Roast - Decaf (Swiss water method) - let's admit it, decaf is the hardest roast to perfect, so when I discovered this Colombian bombshell, I knew it was a keeper. Roasted dark to accentuate the flavour profile and highlight its South American chocolatey and toffee flavours.
Single Origin - The Old School Black Belt: Brazilian - Medium Roast. This coffee fulfils the double honour of being associated with the homeland of BJJ and a really distinctive yet subtle South American wonder bean. Directly traded from the plantation, I have found it has a really fruity and chocolatey flavour. My wife and I love it in our morning cafetiere.
What next?
My mind fizzes with the possibilities. But really, the first thing I want to do is get these amazing beans into peoples homes and get some repeat customers! I believe in this product and I think you will love it too.
For the future, there are lots of opportunities I would like to explore. I have wholesale options and already have a couple of gyms looking ready to get involved selling my coffee. I also want to expand my range as there are lots of blends and roasts to explore! Finally, I would really like to do some collaborations with some of the other amazing businesses and charities that make up the crazy Jiu Jitsu and martial arts worlds.
Whatever happens, its going to be a fun journey.
Oss,
Greg