Meet the Cork rockers turned into coffee roasters enjoying great success

THE façade of Stone Valley Coffee Roasters bounces from the aesthetic of the already vibrant and colourful town of Clonakilty, seamlessly popping out from the antiquated storefronts without looking out of place.

I met owners John Boyle and Tom Edwards on a midweek morning for a chat outside their premises.

Customers were streaming in and out, picking up their takeaway drinks and whole bean bags for their home brewing kits.

John and Tom are aficionados of coffee culture and immediately we got into the topic of the Irish coffee scene and how it’s developed over the years.

The lads began roasting in 2017, which is relatively recent compared to a small handful of Irish roasters who began to pop-up almost 20 years ago around the country and pioneered the boom of artisanal coffee.

The lads are very knowledgeable with regards not only the Irish coffee scene but the global coffee scene.

We chatted about the World Barista Championships and John, who is a bit of a historian in that regard, gave me the verbal express tour of how it works. However, they’re more interested in the local and regional scene – the greater coffee community – rather than the 1% community that has an interest in the elite level showcasing of peculiar signature drinks and exotic beans.

John and Tom like to help build small businesses up into fully functioning, high level coffee spots and their spread across the county is increasing as the years go by. Their colourful branding can be seen on shelves and behind coffee machines in cafés all over the county.

Their branding graphics were designed by Jamie Hanrahan and their shop front by local artist, Deirdre Breen, who has painted walls around Cork with her signature style of geometrically disjointed colour patterns.

John and Tom were in a band together pre-2017, being self-professed “saviours of rock” – one wedding at a time – whilst working in coffee part-time with Mark Kingston of Golden Bean (a pioneer of the artisanal scene roasting out of Ballymaloe) at Cork city farmers’ markets.

The inspiration for roasting their own coffee came through this connection. There wasn’t anywhere that would give a coffee roasting apprenticeship, as such, so they opted to teach themselves.

They went halves on a single-kilo coffee roaster, and from an old stone garage in the valley of Mount Pleasant, Bandon, they began to experiment with two sacks of green (unroasted) coffee beans they purchased. Hence the name, Stone Valley.

“The first few roasts were pretty bad,” said Tom. “Learning how to roast initially was like learning how to drive through YouTube videos. You think you understand what needs to be done, but as soon as you switch on the machine and start roasting, you make all the mistakes immediately!”

Tom spoke in depth about the subtleties and intricacies of roasting at a high level and achieving consistency. Environmental factors play a huge role so roasting in the winter is different to roasting in the summer and you have to adjust to maintain consistency. Also, as the beans age they lose moisture which needs to be monitored with further adjustments made.

The current technology that’s available to give exact measurements on all the different aspects of achieving the perfect roast have changed the game entirely and have made things much easier.

Old schools methods like smelling the beans mid-roast, or even cupping, are becoming more and more out-dated.

“I always describe roasting like you’re driving a car from A to B without using the brakes at all. All your parameters must be spot on, and you’re paying attention and adjusting as you go so that you land, bang on the bull’s eye.”

From buying two sacks at a time, they now buy enough coffee to last 18 months at a time – many sacks!

Their shop opened on Ashe Street in Clonakilty in 2019 with the intention of it being a headquarters where they could showcase their coffee at the same time. From my perspective, it’s certainly developed into something more than just a showcase, as streams of punters flowed through their door the morning I visited. A staple in the community, as well as a showcase for their product.

They brew espresso using a La Marzocco Linea PB and they only use single origin coffees. They have two on the menu which rotate. 

They’ll generally have something chocolatey and nutty, which is a crowd pleaser, but also something a bit lighter and cleaner for those who are looking for a special treat. Generally, Brazilian, Central American, and sometimes African beans.

A premium product is an appropriate description for what the Stone Valley boys provide. They have developed into more than just a roastery as they help businesses build through barista courses and equipment consultations.

Throughout the production of this series on Cork’s coffee scene, the Stone Valley name continuously came up fondly by those who are connected to them. They are becoming an inspiring force themselves, much like those who helped and inspired them initially, as I see evidence for their crucial importance around the county as a major leader of Cork’s caffeinated network.

Next week: Richard chats to the people behind Monty’s Cafe and Sandwich Bar - Midleton