THE BARNABY BLOG - INSIDE THE CUP - VOL 2 - SATURDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2025

rob72401
7 days ago
3 min read

How to Pick Your House Coffee at Home: Blend vs Single Origin

Friday, 6 September 2024

The eternal coffee conundrum: standing in front of a selection of beautiful bags, faced with the choice between a carefully crafted blend or a pristine single origin. It's a decision that shapes your daily ritual, and frankly, there's no wrong answer—only what's right for your cup.

After months of watching guests navigate this very choice at both our Putney and New Malden locations, we've noticed some patterns that might help you decide which direction to take your home brewing.

The Case for Blends: Your Reliable Morning Companion

Think of blends as the coffee equivalent of a well-orchestrated symphony. Our Barnaby & Boo's HOUSE BLEND with it's intense chocolate, molasses raisins and stonefruit has been super popular since launching a little over a month ago precisely because it delivers consistency, cup after cup. Blended coffees are designed to balance sweetness, acidity, and body—creating something greater than the sum of its parts.

Choose a blend if you:

Want the same great taste every morning (no surprises)
Enjoy coffee with milk or alternative milks
Prefer a fuller, rounder flavour profile
Are brewing for multiple people with different preferences

Our B&B's CHERRY BLOSSOM exemplifies this perfectly—a careful marriage of beans from three different regions (Guatemala Huehuetenango, Peru Amazonas and Ethiopia Biftu Gudina) creates notes of Fruity chocolate with stonefruit and kumquat and with almonds and orange blossom to to keep things interesting. It's forgiving in brewing methods and absolutely shines in everything from espresso to French press.

The Single Origin Story: Coffee's Sense of Place

Single origins are coffee's way of telling you exactly where it's been. They're expressive, sometimes quirky, and often surprising. When guests try our rotating single origin selection, we see faces light up with recognition—"Oh, that's what Peruvian coffee tastes like!"

Choose a single origin if you:

Love exploring new flavour territories
Prefer black coffee or minimal additions
Enjoy seasonal variety in your cup
Want to understand different coffee-growing regions

Our current Puruvian Bourbon, Catura (featured in the current B&B CINDER BLOOM) delivers exactly what you'd expect from great Peruvian coffee—jammy, with green apple and blueberry on the nose. It's a cup of gentle, round acidity with a long brown sugar finish. It's approachable enough for everyday drinking but complex enough to keep you engaged.

The Home Brewing Reality Check

Here's what we've learned from countless conversations across the counter: your brewing method matters as much as your bean choice.

For espresso machines: Blends generally perform more consistently, handling the pressure and extraction variables with grace. The HOUSE BLEND and CHERRY BLOSSOM pulls beautifully with minimal fuss.

For filter methods (V60, Chemex, cafetière): This is where single origins really shine. They allow you to taste the subtle differences that make each origin unique.

For batch brewing or office scenarios: Blends win for their crowd-pleasing reliability.

Our Honest Recommendation

Start with a blend for your daily driver—something you know will deliver satisfaction every morning. Then, keep a single origin on hand for weekend exploration or those moments when you want to slow down and really taste your coffee.

Many of our regulars at B&B's have adopted this "one reliable, one adventurous" approach, and it seems to strike the perfect balance between consistency and discovery.

Ready to explore? Our Barnaby & Boo's House Blend and Cherry Blossom & Single Estate are available to purchase or reserve instore and for delivery via Deliveroo and Just Eat, along with our Cinder Bloom Single Origin and Square Mile Red Brick Espresso, Filter Blend and Decaf Coffee Beans. We can also source your favourite beans direct from Square Mile each week.