Company Spotlight: Horsebox Coffee
Published on 14 March 2023
We’re all slightly addicted to coffee in the Milton Park office. Keen to gain some recommendations on the best signature coffee blends served at the Park, we spoke to one of our speciality coffee providers to find out what’s on offer.
Horsebox Coffee Co. is an independent, South Oxfordshire-based coffee shop and roastery, producing ethical and sustainable speciality coffee. It believes in community and collaboration. People, planet and flavour makes them tick.
Now with its extended opening times and a new outdoor, undercover seating area installed, it’s the perfect spot to enjoy a tasty, well-earned coffee break…
Sustainability in every cup
Sustainability and ethics are at the core of Horsebox Coffee, filtering through its entire process, from sourcing to serving – aiming not just to minimise its impact but also to create positive change.
It was founded in 2014 by Emily Stewart, who wanted to share her love of speciality coffee and see her beloved horsebox trailer refurbished. Since then, Emily has developed long-term relationships with sustainable coffee growers and brings together a close-knit team of coffee lovers. She believes that from the farmer that cultivates to the barista that crafts, the perfect cup is a result of teamwork, friendships, partnerships and passion.
Connecting communities
As part of its goal to connect like-minded people, Horsebox Coffee runs roastery experiences and barista training programmes. It supplies its coffee to other independent businesses including coffee shops, restaurants, farm shops and delis – anyone that shares its values.
Being a small team doesn’t hold Horsebox Coffee back when it comes to supporting chosen charities and community organisations. So far, it has committed to supporting the following organisations at every opportunity it can: CHOKO Community Linking Project, Footsteps Foundation, Kestrel Theatre Company, One Tree Planted, Project Waterfall, Riding For the Disabled and Sue Ryder.
Dark Horse Roastery
In 2018, Emily opened Dark Horse Roastery – named after one of Horsebox Coffee’s most popular signature blends – to become a more integral part of the supply chain. It’s here, on a small working farm in South Oxfordshire, that Emily sources sustainably produced coffee from direct trade with individual farms and cooperatives.
Horsebox Coffee creates a myriad of different blends, with Dark Horse and Brightstar its current top signature choices (both named in memory of two wonderful horses, of course):
Dark Horse is a rich and intensive dark roast with notes of chocolate and caramel, showcasing speciality coffee from two fair trade and organic co-operatives, Guatemala and Honduras
Brightstar is a seasonal blend with sweet, fruity and floral notes, showcasing a wonderful washed Ethiopian coffee carefully blended to create balance.
Fancy a caffeine-free option?
The Delicious Decaf has notes of caramel, nuts and cocoa.
Decaffeination is achieved via the Swiss water process, a gentle and natural method that’s 100% organic and chemical-free. It relies on a super-saturated green coffee solution called Green Coffee Extract (GCE) which is introduced to induce the diffusion of caffeine molecules out of the coffee beans whilst retaining all the flavour. So, it’s all down to some smart science and creativity.
By freshly roasting its decaf coffee to order, the only thing you’re missing out on really is the caffeine!
Why Milton Park?
Through its centrally located base at Milton Park, Horsebox Coffee Co. has been able to expand its regular customer circle in Oxfordshire via the operation of its mobile coffee shop four days a week.
Emily Stewart, Founder at Horsebox Coffee Co., explains more: “I used to come to Milton Park regularly to serve at the Thursday Feasts – you may remember Deux Chevaux Espresso, our cute 2CV coffee van? So, it’s great to now have a base here with one of our Horseboxes.
“Milton Park has a great community feel and it’s a pleasure to be able to serve our signatures blends and single origins from our Dark Horse Roastery, alongside freshly baked pastries, to its occupiers and visitors.
“We’re really pleased with the new undercover seating area that’s been installed, providing our customers with a pleasant place to sit with their coffees to relax for a moment and catch up. We look forward to growing our continued partnership with the Park and sharing our passion for delicious coffee and all those that help create it.
“Our current deal on offer at our mobile shop is a hot drink and pastry for £4.95 or two hot drinks for £4.95, so now is a better time than ever to pay us a visit!”
Horsebox Coffee Co. is based behind Milton Park’s security hut at ///mission.reclaim.porridge, serving signature blends of its delicious coffee, and more, to workers and local residents – now from the extended opening times of 7am – 2pm every Monday to Thursday.
To find out more about Horsebox Coffee Co. and its work, please visit: horseboxcoffeeco.com
