After 35 years of roasting and supplying coffee to some of Nottingham’s best-loved independent businesses, there’s not much Jim Lee, owner of Lee & Fletcher, doesn’t know about a cup of joe. Lucy Campion finds out more about Jim’s journey in the world of java.
In 1990, Jim Lee re-routed his career path and built a coffee roastery from scratch. Today Lee & Fletcher supplies an impressive list of local businesses.
When we meet, Jim has an americano while I order a latte. Aware that I’m in the presence of a connoisseur, I feel self-conscious but I needn’t.
“I’m not against people putting milk in coffee,” Jim says. “I attended a course at the International Coffee Organisation in London, where a woman said, ‘There’s a lot of snobbery in tea, but coffee’s not like that - if you like a certain coffee, that’s the best one,’ and I agree entirely.”
Having experienced many a side-eye in cool coffee shops after asking for syrup, I’m surprised to hear this refreshing take. Jim adds: “Snobbery has crept into the coffee scene in recent years but I don’t see any justification for that. If you like your coffee a certain way, drink it!”
Eager to hear some expert recommendations, I ask Jim for his favourite coffees. “A good, state-grown Papua New Guinea, which you can try at Hemisphere (West Bridgford). It’s sweet and intense without being too harsh. Wild Ethiopian coffee has a nice kick. For middle-of-the-road coffee, you can’t beat a Colombian or Costa Rican.”
Jim has supplied single origin coffees since the early 1990s, before they became fashionable. “There wasn’t the same level of interest then, but we were doing Colombian, Kenyan and Costa Rican. Nowadays coffees can be sourced from a single state, with a specific sub-species of arabica.”
People like to have something different. No.8 Deli has a particularly memorable custom blend. They wanted something you couldn’t get elsewhere, even if it meant some people wouldn’t like it. The result was strong and spicy.
When I comment that he was ahead of the curve, Jim smiles. “As much as I’d like to claim credit, it was entirely by chance. We started with six to eight different coffees, now we have sixty.”
Lee & Fletcher has also developed a reputation for distinctive custom blends. “People like to have something different. No.8 Deli has a particularly memorable custom blend. They wanted something you couldn’t get elsewhere, even if it meant some people wouldn’t like it. The result was strong and spicy.”
When asked what’s changed most in the industry, Jim says: “Originally, most coffee shops had a filter machine and didn’t understand how to look after coffee. There’s still a stigma surrounding filter coffee so some shops have rebranded it as drip coffee – same concept with a free-standing filter.”
“In the nineties, very few people had a Nespresso machine and it only made espressos, americanos, cappuccinos and lattes. Now there are flat whites, long blacks, cortados, and different milks and syrups too.”
So what’s the secret to Lee & Fletcher’s longevity? “We don’t sell on price, we sell on quality. Also, I like to know my customers – business is about relationships.”
And Jim’s top three city centre coffee spots? “Biscuit and Brew for the chilled atmosphere; Delilah for the range of choice and monthly specials; and Chocolate Utopia because you get a free chocolate with your coffee!”
You can enjoy Lee & Fletcher Coffee at Delilah Fine Foods, Bar Iberico, Gilt, No.8 Deli, and Homemade Café, among other cafés and restaurants.
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