Why speciality coffee will take your hospitality service to new heights Why speciality coffee will take your hospitality service to new heights Did you know
Did you know

Why speciality coffee will take your hospitality service to new heights

Pact Coffee

Written by Pact Coffee / Views

Published - 03 February 2025

Ever wondered why some coffees taste flat and forgettable, while others are rich, complex, and leave a lasting impression?

Speciality coffee is a higher standard of carefully sourced, graded, and roasted coffee. In this guide, we’ll break down what speciality coffee really means, how the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) grading system works, and why offering speciality coffee can set your hospitality service apart.

With speciality coffee, every batch is scored for quality, and only the best beans make it through.
With speciality coffee, every batch is scored for quality, and only the best beans make it through.

Regular coffee vs speciality coffee

Most coffee you find in supermarkets or cafés doesn’t make the cut. It’s often a mix of different beans, roasted dark to hide defects. It’s bought on the cheap from farmers to be sold on the cheap to businesses. This means farmers lose out on a prosperous living and customers miss out on a coffee’s natural potential.

With speciality coffee, every batch is scored for quality, and only the best beans make it through. Roasters work with farmers to improve their practices to improve their crops so they produce exceptional coffees. These coffees are then bought at a premium price and roasted to promise customers exceptional experiences.

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) set the standards for what makes a coffee ‘speciality’ and use a 100-point scoring system to grade beans.
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) set the standards for what makes a coffee ‘speciality’ and use a 100-point scoring system to grade beans.

The Speciality Coffee Association and speciality coffee grading 

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is the global authority on coffee quality. They set the standards for what makes a coffee ‘speciality’ and use a 100-point scoring system to grade beans based on factors like flavour, aroma, and balance. Any coffee that scores 80+ is considered ‘speciality’. 

But while an 80-point coffee is technically specialty-grade, it’s on the lowest end of the scale. It’ll taste clean, be free from major defects, and be better than commercial coffee – but it might still be a little flat, lacking complexity or excitement.

Many speciality coffee roasters will offer coffees that score 80 as their minimum. But we don’t feel like this is good enough. That’s why our minimum is 84 points, which means:

  • more pronounced flavours like chocolate, citrus, or berries.
  • sweetness, acidity, and body are more refined, creating a smoother, more enjoyable cup.
  • a longer-lasting impression where enjoyable flavours evolve and linger over time.
If you’re serving coffee in a café, restaurant, or workspace, quality is the difference between you and your competitors.
If you’re serving coffee in a café, restaurant, or workspace, quality is the difference between you and your competitors.

Why does this matter to you?

If you’re serving coffee in a café, restaurant, or workspace, quality is the difference between you and your competitors. It’s the difference between ‘forgettable’ and ‘unforgettable’ experiences. Speciality coffee means your customers get an outstanding coffee that keeps them coming back and makes your business stand out from the rest.

Want to taste for yourself? Let’s talk. Get in touch here!

Why speciality coffee will take your hospitality service to new heights

Pact Coffee

Written by Pact Coffee

Views

Published - 03 February 2025

Ever wondered why some coffees taste flat and forgettable, while others are rich, complex, and leave a lasting impression?

Speciality coffee is a higher standard of carefully sourced, graded, and roasted coffee. In this guide, we’ll break down what speciality coffee really means, how the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) grading system works, and why offering speciality coffee can set your hospitality service apart.

With speciality coffee, every batch is scored for quality, and only the best beans make it through.
With speciality coffee, every batch is scored for quality, and only the best beans make it through.

Regular coffee vs speciality coffee

Most coffee you find in supermarkets or cafés doesn’t make the cut. It’s often a mix of different beans, roasted dark to hide defects. It’s bought on the cheap from farmers to be sold on the cheap to businesses. This means farmers lose out on a prosperous living and customers miss out on a coffee’s natural potential.

With speciality coffee, every batch is scored for quality, and only the best beans make it through. Roasters work with farmers to improve their practices to improve their crops so they produce exceptional coffees. These coffees are then bought at a premium price and roasted to promise customers exceptional experiences.

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) set the standards for what makes a coffee ‘speciality’ and use a 100-point scoring system to grade beans.
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) set the standards for what makes a coffee ‘speciality’ and use a 100-point scoring system to grade beans.

The Speciality Coffee Association and speciality coffee grading 

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is the global authority on coffee quality. They set the standards for what makes a coffee ‘speciality’ and use a 100-point scoring system to grade beans based on factors like flavour, aroma, and balance. Any coffee that scores 80+ is considered ‘speciality’. 

But while an 80-point coffee is technically specialty-grade, it’s on the lowest end of the scale. It’ll taste clean, be free from major defects, and be better than commercial coffee – but it might still be a little flat, lacking complexity or excitement.

Many speciality coffee roasters will offer coffees that score 80 as their minimum. But we don’t feel like this is good enough. That’s why our minimum is 84 points, which means:

  • more pronounced flavours like chocolate, citrus, or berries.
  • sweetness, acidity, and body are more refined, creating a smoother, more enjoyable cup.
  • a longer-lasting impression where enjoyable flavours evolve and linger over time.
If you’re serving coffee in a café, restaurant, or workspace, quality is the difference between you and your competitors.
If you’re serving coffee in a café, restaurant, or workspace, quality is the difference between you and your competitors.

Why does this matter to you?

If you’re serving coffee in a café, restaurant, or workspace, quality is the difference between you and your competitors. It’s the difference between ‘forgettable’ and ‘unforgettable’ experiences. Speciality coffee means your customers get an outstanding coffee that keeps them coming back and makes your business stand out from the rest.

Want to taste for yourself? Let’s talk. Get in touch here!