Very Good "Good Coffee"

In a little non-descript part of Tarchomin there lies a black, black secret.

It is the home of Good Coffee, a small coffee roaster ran by a man passionate about getting the best out of the best. Wojciech has been roasting coffee for over 10 years and goes to great lengths to bring good quality coffee to the people of Poland. He samples regularly and elimates those coffees which aren't traceable and that are not up to his standards.

I admit it, I am quite a coffee snob, in that I would rather not drink coffee at all if it is bad. I have left many cups of bad coffee in cafes, restaurants and hotels all over the world. Rather than try to force myself to drink something that I just don't like. We have tried many roasters in Warsaw and found the best consistency and quality here at Good Coffee. This is why I approached Wojciech to see if it would be possible to observe him roast and maybe help him out a little. He was nice enough to agree, so I can bring you these pictures.

Maintaining the right temperature is very important during the roasting phase.

Bags of green beans

Gas offers the best control of temperature.

Green beans awaiting their holiday to a warmer climate

And the finished product cooling down.

The mini roaster for smaller orders

Sometimes it is the ugly ones that make us happy. Like these Congo third or fourth grade beans. They are hard to come by, aren't pretty, or considered of great quality but boy they taste great.

If you are a coffee fanatic like me, and want to try fresh, well sourced/roasted/prepared coffee beans, then Good Coffee is the place to go. There is a great variety and the opportunity to try something different every order. Even if you don't live in Warsaw, many of the companies clients are all over Poland.

 Thanks Wojciech for showing me the ropes and letting me cup some fabulous coffees.

Chleb Hruby i sery z Grzybowa

A few weekends ago we took the chance to visit Chleb Hruby i sery z Grzybowa, with some friends who have known the owners Ewa the Educator and Peter the Baker, Cheesemaker and Stork Saver for some time.

The business is a small multifunction farm which works in a really inspiring way. Peter is from Switzerland but moved to Poland many years ago and started farming here. When moved to his current site the magic started to happen and he became more entwined with the local community. Now he employs locals to help him in the bakery, cheesery and to teach school children about the environment and their business.

Now they are baking some great rye breads along with making their delicious goats, goats and cows, and plain cows milk cheeses. If you can't get out to Grzybów then you can buy their bread all over Warsaw like here. Or go along to the Biobazar on Wednesdays to get your fill of both bread and cheese. I would suggest you won't be disappointed.

The recently saved stork.

Into the cheesery

Peter discussing the processes.

A freshly made cheese

The aging rack.

Moulds not molds.

Cheese weights

Really beautiful packaging.

My favourite, the goat's cheese

The area was once Prussian so it has a history of German influence, and this is a restored piece given to them by locals.

The old cheese cellar.

The Swedish WWOOF boys taking the goats out to pasture.

Gratuitous cat shot

A converted barn?

The mill

How can you not love goats?!

Then it came to buying some cheese.

Time to get that delicious goaty goodness home.

Special thanks to Kit and Marcin for driving us poor carless folk to the rural Mazowsze region to experience this wonderful place, and also thanks to Ewa and Peter for looking after us with breakfast and teaching us about the world that is cheese, goats and bread.

70 Rocznica Powstania Warszawskiego - Godzina W - Rondo De Gaulle'a

 Godzina W, 1 sierpnia 2014 na rondzie de Gaulle'a.

The Warsaw Uprising (Polish: Powstanie Warszawskie) was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces.

To put into terms for an Australian to understand, it is a bit like a combination of the Eureka Stockade and Gallipoli, especially in terms of the sentiment associated with the event.

Every year people stop in Warsaw at 5PM when the uprising began to pay tribute to the estimated 200,000 citizens and 16,000 soldiers who lost their lives.

70 Rocznica Powstania Warszawskiego - Godzina W - 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising at Rondo De Gaulle'a