To celebrate the launch, we caught up with Andrea Otte, Head of Coffee, at Caravan team to give us a bit of a backstory…

“Many people don’t realise, but coffee is a seasonal crop. It takes each coffee cherry (the fruit of the coffee tree, which contains the beans) over six months to mature. Coffee’s only ready for harvest when it’s ripe, and it must be picked by hand to get the highest quality. Most countries actually have only one harvest per year, when the whole crop might come off the trees in just a few weeks.

Different regions have different harvest times, which is what makes it possible for fresh coffee to be available in the UK all throughout the year. And the blends most of us enjoy actually feature a rotating selection of coffee from different countries, each harvested and shipped and their specifical seasonal time of year. 

While coffee in its raw, unroasted form doesn’t technically go off, there are flavour differences between coffees which have been exported, roasted and enjoyed within a few months of harvest, and those which are enjoyed many months or years later. As roasters, we source coffees specifically to maintain consistent tasting notes in our blends. This means buying coffees as fresh as we can, and using them within 6-12 months of their arrival in the UK. 

Last but certainly not least, we source all our coffees from trusted relationships, verified by our Coffee Team (in-person wherever possible), and with both the protection of farmer livelihoods and the natural environment at the core of our program.

By enjoying this Oddbox Rescue Blend, you’re helping to ensure each and every bean gets enjoyed, keeping us all caffeinated in good conscience.”

Want a taste of this waste-fighting coffee blend? Grab a bag of beans or ground coffee in our add-ons store (available on boxes delivered between 15/03 and 28/03).