Who owns Origin Coffee?
Founded in 2004 by tom sobey, origin coffee is an independently owned speciality coffee roaster that is bound by one central ethos; to source exceptional coffee through a sustainable, triple bottom line approach. Tom’s always been involved in the industry, working closely for his father’s coffee business growing up. Headquartered in cornwall, the company was founded in 2004 by tom sobey. Origin sources and roasts speciality-grade coffee which it sells to wholesale, direct to consumer and at its own cafes. The company places a strong emphasis on sustainability and, in 2022, it won the queen’s award for sustainable development.
Where is coffee originally from?
As it’s thought that coffee originated in ethiopia, it’s also believed it made its way north across the red sea into yemen in the 15th century. It then started to be grown in the yemeni district of arabia, and by the 16th century it was known in persia, egypt, syria, and turkey. Wild coffee plants originated in ethiopia, while the beverage itself has its roots in yemen, where it was harvested, roasted and brewed; sufi muslims in the 15th century used it to aid concentration during night prayers.Muslims would roast coffee and began to drink it in a preparation very similar to how it is consumed in modern yemen. The drink rose in popularity amongst the deeply spiritual Sufis, who would drink coffee to help them stay alert as they stood in their nightly prayers of tahajud.As coffee reached Europe in the 16th century through Venetian traders, it arrived with a controversial reputation. Because of its Islamic associations, many Christians eyed it with suspicion. Some clergy denounced it as “Satan’s drink,” claiming it was a tool of the devil designed to corrupt the faithful.