This blend combines Colombian coffee from Jairo Arcila with Mexican Huipil coffee. The Colombian component features Castillo variety processed through blackberry co-fermented washed method at 1400-1900 meters altitude. The Mexican component includes Red Bourbon, Criollo, and Typica varieties, washed processed, also from 1400-1900 meters altitude. Flavor profile includes ripe blackberry skin, blackcurrant syrup, sour cherry, hibiscus acidity, wine-soaked sweetness, fig jam, chocolate fudge, and Ribena notes. The blend offers funky, juicy, and electric characteristics with deep purple fruit and sticky sweetness balanced by clean structure and floral lift.
Catalyst Coffee was founded in late 2016 by Alexander Gkikas in Holborn, London. The roastery operates a 12kg Diedrich housed in the basement beneath the café, visible to customers through glass floor panels. After initially adopting an omni roast principle with a single profile for all brewing methods, the team switched to two distinct profiles for espresso and filter based on customer feedback. Direct trade offerings include Finca La Lomita from Colombia's Valle del Cauca, where no chemicals, fungicides, or herbicides are used. The café serves espresso, batch brew, and pour over, and was named among 11 London coffee shops recognised as the best in the UK for 2026.
