The idea of ‘going for a coffee’ is certainly no new concept. The first coffeehouses began in Mecca as early as the 14th century and soon spread throughout the Arab world. The idea of coffeehouses, where anyone could go to discuss culture and conduct business for the price of a coffee, flourished in Venice, Paris, London and North America in the 1600’s. Things have no doubt changed slightly since then, it is unlikely anyone was ordering a caramel frappacino in 17th century London, or that there was an American coffeeshop chain on every high street corner, however the culture of enjoying a good quality cup of coffee while socialising has remained a consistently popular activity.
Waterhead roasted coffee served with Gransmere Gingerbread
Whilst a perfectly decent cup of coffee can be made from beans which have been sourced, roasted and ground elsewhere, at Waterhead we wanted to be able to create the perfect coffee, which means using the freshest and best quality beans. After much research by General Manager Mark Needham (who, having two children under the age of 2 sees coffee as a lifeline) it was decided that the best way to achieve this would be to roast our own coffee in house, something that very few establishments in this country do, most choosing to buy pre-roasted beans from their suppliers. 
Coffee beans roasted at Waterhead for sale
After working closely with Limini Coffee, we took delivery of our very own Roastilino coffee roaster in April. After much tasting, which resulted in very little sleep that night, we decided on a selection of Arabica beans from around the world, our most popular being Indian, Columbian, Rwandan and Kenyan. We purchase them as Green beans, which are basically raw coffee beans, and then roast them daily, each to their own bespoke time to roast them to perfection, meaning that at Waterhead guests can experience the freshest coffee in the North West.
We also didn’t want to leave non-coffee drinkers behind in our quest for the best quality hot beverages, and now serve ‘proper’ hot chocolate made with high quality milk chocolate drops, which are then melted and mixed with hot milk to create the perfect warming drink. Also not forgetting our range of delicious Suki loose leaf tea, and all our hot beverages are served with local Kendal Jacksmith’s mini flapjacks.
Guests are also now able to purchase our freshly roasted coffee from the hotel, either to enjoy at home, or alternatively for a unique and delicious gift.
Written by: Lindsay Price, Deputy General Manager at Waterhead