How do we choose which coffee will make it onto the Dog and Hat list?

Well, firstly we look for a Roastery that is independent, friendly and aligned to our ethos - the highest quality raw ingredients, ethically sourced from sustainable farms ensuring the best product for you and the best deal for the local farming communities.

Once we find a Roastery that meets the criteria, we like to make a visit to the Roaster where we can. Alternatively, we get a selection of their finest coffee delivered for sampling – and that’s when the fun begins.

We find a time and a place that feels right for coffee tasting then begin by opening the chosen beans and really savouring that initial aroma hit. Then we move onto the brewing process itself - either using the Roasters brewing guide if supplied or simply freestyling it. This is where the Morgans tend to differ - I LOVE my coffee as an espresso in a nice china cup whereas Mr Morgan likes a strong cappuccino, but we find these differences simply make for a more comprehensive testing process. While the coffee’s being prepared we tend to get stuck into the inevitable discussion around the packaging – graphics, materials etc.

If the coffee tastes good, we expand the audience and get our friends and family involved in the process. Finally, a decision is made and the coffee might make it into our subscriptions or possibly onto the site for individual sale.