What does cadence mean?

I get asked this all the time from customers and members of the public. It’s probably the second most common question I’m asked, trailing shortly behind, “so did you do the conversion yourself?”

Back to the cadence question, I usually struggle to deliver a succinct and clear answer, but basically, in the context I’ve opted for, in cycling it’s the rate of pedal rotation. I know, it’s quite random isn’t it? The idea comes not only from my love of cycling but also from the intention to regularly change coffee beans, so our coffee doesn’t always taste the same. I think this is what makes us unique and interesting. I’m aware all this might send a bit fluffy but it kind of makes sense in my mind.

I quite like having ‘cadence’ in the name because it reminds me to get out on my bike as much as possible but also it serves as a reminder to regularly buy different coffee beans rather than just sticking to the same beans every time. I’m a big believer in the idea that variety is the spice of life and I feel like this couldn’t be more true in the case of coffee.

I’ve worked as a barista for over five years now and what I’ve learnt is that many cafes don’t like to switch up their main espresso beans at all, year in, year out. I can understand why they might like to take this approach. Why mess around with something that goes down well and brings in their regular customers?

It’s similar with restuarants too. Some restaurants have their menu and they don’t wish to stray from that original menu in any way. Other restaurants change their menu regularly to make it seasonal, so they’re serving food that is in season and grown locally. Both approaches have their merits but I prefer the latter approach myself.

I buy our coffee from an independent coffee roaster in St.Ives called Foundation Roasters. They’re a small but very hard working bunch doing exciting things in coffee. They serve single origin coffee beans but also great blends too. My favourite blend they do is called Halcyon. I love how reliable it is every time, with milk or black, it always looks and tastes great. It’s got a brilliant flavour with its sweet chocolatey notes typical of South American coffee. It has a beautiful crema so it’s easy to make milky coffees look amazingly smooth and delicious. Practising your latte art is a joy when you’ve popped Halcyon in the grinder.

Other days, I use the Pard blend and also the Poderosa. The flavour of these blends is quite different to Halcyon. There’s a little more acidity and complexity in the flavour. Some slightly fruitier notes come through and hit the taste buds. I like to use both of these occasionally, just to offer a change for customers but also for my own benefit. I don’t want to be drinking the same coffee every time, I want to be trying different coffees and experimenting. I feel like this is part of the learning process.

I digress a little from offering an explanation behind the ‘cadence’ in our name to going on about my favourite coffee. That’s the beauty of coffee for me though. It’s a lifelong passion, and for me, the same applies to ‘cadence’ or cycling.