4 December, 2017
SO Coffee
A couple of weeks back I met up with Scott Otten – owner of SO Coffee Trades Ltd. Scott is a local boy, who just happens to play rugby professionally for the Ospreys, as well as run a wholesale and retail coffee business. At age 23 he has played for Ospreys, Swansea, Neath, Aberavon and Waunarlwydd and represented Wales at U20 level. However, a serious injury at the start of the year set him on the path to start up SO Coffee. Scott is a coffee lover and sees coffee as an important part of everyday life – whether it’s as a morning pick me up, a post training treat, an excuse to meet up with friends or something to enjoy at home. It’s true that there’s now a huge coffee culture amongst rugby players. I suppose it allows them to still be sociable but without the pitfalls of going to the pub! Rugby players social media feeds nowadays are as full of photographs of Flat Whites as they are of rugby silverware! It’s not uncommon to see todays professional rugby players hanging out in the local coffee shops. So it’s no wonder that at the start of 2017, whilst injured, Scott explored the possibility of starting up a business involving coffee. Within a few weeks he had chosen three coffee blends, registered his business, set up a website and made his first sales.
SO Coffee offers three premium blends.
‘The Front 5′ is a medium dark roast blend of fairtrade Brazilian, Colombian, Guatamalan and Robusta beans. It has a smooth, nutty flavour, characteristic of beans from these countries, with a sweet acidity and tasting notes of toffee apple and blackcurrant. Described as a ’rounded’ coffee, it’s name derives from the front five forwards of a rugby team (Scott plays Hooker)! This coffee is perfect for any espresso-based drinks or even as the base of an Espresso Martini, which is exactly its purpose at No. 6 Bar Swansea.
‘The Classic 1984’ takes it’s name from the year of Scott’s parents marriage. On chatting to Scott, it is clear how important family is to him and how grateful he is for his parent’s support, with both his career and business. This coffee is 100% Arabica. The Fortaleza espresso beans from Brazil and Central America are medium roast to create a buttery, caramel sweetness with vanilla notes.
The House Blend – ‘Blend 10’ is a medium dark espresso roast with bold body, designed to add ‘drop kick to your morning’! This blend of Peruvian, Brazilian and Central American beans is ‘named for the vibrancy and creativity of those who normally wear the 10 shirt.’ Tasting notes are of cocoa powder or heavy baking chocolate. Scott describes this coffee as being ‘punchy’ and working well in milk based espresso drinks.
All three blends are roasted at ‘Masteroast Coffee Co Ltd’ in Peterborough, and can be brewed via espresso or pour over methods.
Over the short time that SO Coffee has been trading, they have built up a number of relationships and supply a number of wide ranging businesses throughout South Wales. These include Massey’s Café in Skewen, The Sandwich Co in Pencoed, The Farmers Arms in Waunarlwydd, No. 6 Bar Swansea and ReNeuron (stem cell therapeutics). Scott’s idea is simple – to provide customers with well priced, high quality coffee. He is knowledgeable about all things coffee and appreciates the work that goes into preparing a perfect cup of coffee – from the farming and processing of the beans to the roasting to the various brew techniques. He is very passionate about his product and I love the whole ethos behind his business. His tag line is #appreciatethemoment and when I asked him what exactly this meant, he told me the following: When he steps onto the rugby field, he appreciates the moment. When he’s surrounded by family, friends and team mates, he appreciates the moment. When he drinks a quality cup of coffee, he appreciates the moment. I suppose that having had a serious injury at the start of the year, he has gained perspective on what’s important in life. Having also had a difficult start to the year myself, I can draw many parallels with Scott’s story. Having faced adversity, both of us have turned to coffee, him with his business and me with my blog!
It was great to meet Scott and chat all things coffee! We are both on a caffeine fuelled journey and we agreed that coffee is a huge subject area and that we’ve probably only just touched the tip of the iceberg with what we’ve learned so far! One thing I am sure of however, is that we’ll be hearing a lot more of Scott Otten, both on the rugby pitch and in the world of coffee. I wish him all the very best with both, well except on a West Wales derby day when I’d have to back my boys in red!
Website: socoffeetrades.co.uk
Instagram: socoffeetradesltd
Twitter: @socoffeetrades
Facebook: SOCoffeeTrades
#appreciatethemoment