We're excited to introduce our new winter holiday blend, Fireside! This special coffee is more than just a delicious beverage; it's a story of collaboration and community, bringing together the creative talents of Crafting Together and some incredibly delicious speciality coffee from Downriver Coffee Roasters. With notes of velvety chocolate and black cherry, reminiscent of a Black Forest gateau, Fireside is the perfect drink to cosy up with by the fire.
Making a Difference: The Story of Crafting Together
Crafting Together is a social enterprise in Clydebank that was founded in 2018 by four teachers from Kilpatrick (ASN) School and two friends. They recognised the lack of post-school employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities and created Crafting Together to address this need. Their mission is to showcase the creative strengths and employability skills of young people with learning disabilities, providing them with meaningful opportunities and a supportive community. Crafting Together has grown significantly since its inception, and currently has twenty artists and makers participating in seven weekly workshops. They also have a waiting list of individuals eager to join their programme.
For Fireside Blend, we collaborated with Crafting Together's talented makers & artists to design the label artwork. We first started chatting in late September 2024 with Crafting Together about a potential collaboration and met in early October to discuss what that would look like. Through October and November, some workshop time was dedicated to this commissioned piece of work, with some prompts from ourselves about what we thought could possibly work. One of the collective's artists, Kenny, came up with a design that just perfectly captures the cosy and comforting essence of this coffee blend.
Kenny's artwork is a testament to the incredible work produced by Crafting Together's artists and makers. Their work is available for purchase on their website, and they are open to commissions and collaborative projects. They create some incredible jewellery, homeware, prints, and clothing. What first got our attention as well are their amazing Christmas cards!
The Blend
Fireside is a 250g blend composed of beans from Colombia (50%) and Guatemala (50%). The Colombian beans are a honey-processed Caturra variety, produced by Yeferson Olaya at El Tesoro in Tolima, grown at 1600 metres above sea level.
The Guatemalan beans are washed-processed Bourbon/Caturra/Pache varieties produced by the La Libertad collective in Huehuetenango, grown at 1800-1900 metres above sea level. You might recognise the La Libertad collective from our Drift and Anchor coffees. This producer collective has a remarkable history, rooted in a struggle for fair trade.
Back in 1969, 22 small coffee producers in La Libertad faced exploitation from "Coyotes" – middlemen who took advantage of their financial vulnerability. Led by Jose Recinos, affectionately known as Chepemingo, they formed a cooperative to protect their interests. This collective action ensured fair prices for their hard work and allowed them to invest in improving their farming practices.
Enjoy Fireside Blend Your Way
We recommend enjoying Fireside Blend however you like best, whether that's a simple cup of filter coffee or an espresso-based drink with milk. The blend's rich flavour profile makes it incredibly versatile.
Why This Collaboration Matters
Fireside Blend represents the power of collaboration and community. By choosing this coffee, you're not only supporting Downriver but also the incredible work of Crafting Together. You're helping to create opportunities for talented young people while also enjoying a cup of high quality, ethically sourced coffee. Your support of this collaboration contributes to Crafting Together's vision of creating paid, supported employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities, ensuring their creative talents and craft skills are valued and rewarded.
Participating at Crafting Together has a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of the artists and makers involved, tackling loneliness, isolation and the frustration of being marginalised.