There's a coffee out there for everyone, even those who say they don't like coffee, says Jess Palmer of Paddy & Scott's

I speak to so many people (lots of them great baristas) who say ‘Coffee is not for me’. And that’s fine. I think they assume I should recoil in horror or admonish them for their hot drink preference, but some of the best baristas I know don’t drink coffee: The manager of our Hadleigh store can be found sipping peppermint tea between serving up beautiful cups of coffee to his customers – wonderful!

The coffee world, like every other industry, can fall victim to snobbery so that even confirmed coffee drinkers feel there is a ‘correct’ way to enjoy their brew. In truth, there are so many different ways of roasting, blending, preparing and serving coffee that at Paddy and Scott’s we’re still convinced there’s a coffee out there for everyone; even those peppermint tea drinkers!

So if you think coffee is just not for you, why not try switching up your brew to see if there’s a coffee that’s just right for you?

Switch the beans

Depending on the variety, where they’re grown, how they’re roasted and whether they’re blended, coffee beans can taste wildly different. Ranging from bitter, nutty, fruity to acidic flavours – some beans can taste more like tea than coffee. How the beans are processed (look for natural, honey or washed), whether they’re single origin or blended, and the roast profile can add further variety into the mix. Start exploring your options to find the best beans for you.

Switch the brewing method

Even with the same batch of beans you can achieve differing results by changing the brewing methods. For example, extracting coffee using pressure (ie an espresso machine) will mean a bolder, fuller-bodied drink, while filtered coffee is cleaner and more delicate in flavour. Once you’ve picked your favourite brewing method there’s all sorts of experimentation to be had by adjusting the extraction time, weight of coffee, amount of water, etc, until you find your preferred brew.

Switch the milk

There are some coffee snobs who will insist that the only ‘proper’ way to drink coffee is to sip down an espresso, or at the very least a long black. But if you prefer your caffeine to be served in a bucket-sized mug of foamed milk. . . why not? Each to their own we say, and whatever gets your through the daily grind! With the recent explosion of dairy-free milks onto the market there are so many to try. So, whether you drink your coffee black, milky or accompanied by squeezed hazelnuts, enjoy!

Add a shot of something special

There’s a joke in our office that caramel syrup is the gateway into liking coffee. Lots of our team over the years have arrived in the office as non-coffee drinkers before, of course, becoming avid caffeine addicts. If you have a sweet tooth, why not try your coffee with a shot of flavoured syrup or even chai or hot chocolate powder?

Coffee may not be for you, and that’s absolutely fine. But how can you be sure you just haven’t found your perfect combination of caffeinated goodness? There’s a whole world of coffees to try, so why not step off the beaten track or try something new in search of your perfect match?

Jess Palmer

Paddy & Scott’s

Abbeycroft Leisure Centre, Bury St Edmunds, 72 High Street, Hadleigh

paddyandscotts.co.uk