# Coffee Boot Camp anyone?



## ObsidianSage (Jan 30, 2012)

My roastery (Bean Smitten) is located on a camping site in East Sussex.

Thinking of running a coffee BOOT CAMP over a Friday / Saturday. It'll be 'pack your tent and your aeropress' kind of thing with a mix of coffee related shenanigans, BBQ, beer etc and a roastery tour.

Just gauging interest...

What ya all think?

Dan


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## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

Hi Dan, that sounds intriguing. I'm not a big one for camping but might be tempted for BBQ, beers and coffee!


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Sounds like the sort of thing I'd be up for if I'm actually available. I've got a tent, a petrol stove, a sleeping bag etc. Just not quite got as far as an aeropress and Feldgrind yet. Maybe that's why they called them Feldgrind - you have to actually use them in a field at least once to join the (bedding) roll of honour.


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## fenix (Oct 31, 2010)

Sounds good to me, hadn't realised they were there, I live near Tonbridge so very close. Might see if I can pick some beans up from them, or I have a friend that lives in their free delivery area


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## ObsidianSage (Jan 30, 2012)

I'll be on the stall at Tonbridge Farmers Market on Sunday. Come and say hi.


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## Ramrod (Feb 9, 2016)

Would that be at the Cedar Gables campsite near Bewl Water?


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## ObsidianSage (Jan 30, 2012)

Yep


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## Ramrod (Feb 9, 2016)

ObsidianSage said:


> Yep


I'm up for that









Are dogs allowed?


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## ObsidianSage (Jan 30, 2012)

Dunno. Not tried camping as I live close enough to go home every night. Just gauging interest. No specifics yet please. Will put together a package of info if sufficient numbers are interested and the campsite owners are amenable to the idea.


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## Ramrod (Feb 9, 2016)

Well I'm interested, with or without dog









Dates will be tricky as lots of summer weekends are already spoken for-holiday/CPD courses/LAN party but I'm sure other members here are in the same boat.


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## Jacko112 (Oct 29, 2015)

Sounds good, I'm local enough to come up for the day. Haven't come across bean smitten before so will check them out


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## Jon (Dec 3, 2010)

I'm intrigued.


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## aaroncornish (Nov 7, 2012)

Jon said:


> I'm intrigued.


Me too


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## ObsidianSage (Jan 30, 2012)

Decent enough response so far for me to discuss with the campsite owners. Will update in due course.


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## Drewster (Dec 1, 2013)

Ramrod said:


> I'm up for that
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Are you a dog? :-O


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

I'd be up for this!


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## Jon (Dec 3, 2010)

Pretty sure I've been to this campsite before many many years ago.


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## Ramrod (Feb 9, 2016)

Woof?


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## FullBloomCoffee (Mar 19, 2015)

I'm interested to date dependant


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## jtldurnall (Mar 16, 2015)

This sounds interesting to me as well.


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## fenix (Oct 31, 2010)

ObsidianSage said:


> I'll be on the stall at Tonbridge Farmers Market on Sunday. Come and say hi.


I will definitely see you there on Sunday, after some new beans to use with my Technivorm.

On the camping frint, my astronomy club use a site not that far from there, and it has surprisingly dark skies, if we do this coffee meet I might bring a telescope (weather dependant).


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## jimbocz (Jun 5, 2015)

If there's a promise of a telescope , then I might be in as well.


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## ObsidianSage (Jan 30, 2012)

Also have a telescope myself!


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## ObsidianSage (Jan 30, 2012)

Have talked to the campsite owners. They are open to the idea as long as it's before peak season. Looking at May.


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## jimbocz (Jun 5, 2015)

I just checked out the Farmer's market and that looks like fun. How will I know your stall if I do end up stopping by? Tomorrow is looking beautiful weather wise, so we might head down to Kent and do a National Trust or maybe fly kites at Greatstone.


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## ObsidianSage (Jan 30, 2012)

jimbocz said:


> How will I know your stall if I do end up stopping by?


Big black Gazeebo with Bean Smitten written on it.


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## Ramrod (Feb 9, 2016)

I'll try to pop down


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## fenix (Oct 31, 2010)

For a swift pint, the Halfway House at Brenchley is reasonably close, and is a fantastic pub for ale fans.


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## Ramrod (Feb 9, 2016)

fenix said:


> For a swift pint, the Halfway House at Brenchley is reasonably close, and is a fantastic pub for ale fans.


Food's not bad either but it's a pain to drive to from Tonbridge......windey little roads! But, yes, great for ales!


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## fenix (Oct 31, 2010)

I've walked it from Tonbridge a few times, but tend to get the bus from TWells when the beer festival is on. The Hopbine in Petridge has improved recently and is also worth a visit.


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## ObsidianSage (Jan 30, 2012)

Interesting pub crawl developing here....


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## fenix (Oct 31, 2010)

jimbocz said:


> I just checked out the Farmer's market and that looks like fun. How will I know your stall if I do end up stopping by? Tomorrow is looking beautiful weather wise, so we might head down to Kent and do a National Trust or maybe fly kites at Greatstone.


If you want to fly kites Tonbridge park is massive, it has a yearly kite festival, might be a bit wet there at the moment though its used for flood water storage. I fly my kites and quadcopter there.

On the pub front I am on the local CAMRA committee, so am pretty familiar with most local pubs. Only local pub I have had good coffee in is Fuggles in TWells, they do pour over.

May would be good for me. Busy first bank holiday, after that nothing on.


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## ObsidianSage (Jan 30, 2012)

fenix said:


> Only local pub I have had good coffee in is Fuggles in TWells


 We supply our Classic Blend to Chapel Place Wine Bar in Tunbridge Wells - So, there's two places you can mix it up!


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## fenix (Oct 31, 2010)

Nice meeting you today, looking forward to trying the beans out. Tonbridge farmers market was great today, have stocked up on food for the weekend ahead, got some beer + cider, sausages, venison, bread and some smoked meats. I think its one of the best farmers markets around. Just don't visit if you have missed breakfast.

Hopefully this meet up can get off the ground, I think its a great idea.


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## Ramrod (Feb 9, 2016)

ObsidianSage said:


> I'll be on the stall at Tonbridge Farmers Market on Sunday. Come and say hi.


Nice meeting you at the farmers market this morning.

The Rwanda Karengera is very nice. Sipping a mug of it now


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## ObsidianSage (Jan 30, 2012)

Had a total of 3 forum members visit me today. One had travelled from Twickenham! Amazing!


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## jimbocz (Jun 5, 2015)

fenix said:


> If you want to fly kites Tonbridge park is massive, it has a yearly kite festival, might be a bit wet there at the moment though its used for flood water storage. I fly my kites and quadcopter there.
> 
> On the pub front I am on the local CAMRA committee, so am pretty familiar with most local pubs. Only local pub I have had good coffee in is Fuggles in TWells, they do pour over.
> 
> May would be good for me. Busy first bank holiday, after that nothing on.


Thanks for the suggestion, I didn't read it before going or I would have checked out that park. We ended up walking over and seeing the castle, then going to Chiddingstone for coffee and cakes.

It was a great day out. We came home with coffee, cider , apples, bracelets and honey.


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## ObsidianSage (Jan 30, 2012)

Hello everbody.

I'm postponing the Coffee Boot Camp for the time being, whilst I focus on finding additional staff. Sorry to disappoint, but see my next post...

Darren Tickner

Bean Smitten


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

Boooo!!

I hope you find some decent staff quickly (purely selfish reasons of course  )


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

Thread revival time @ObsidianSage

I'm still holding out for the coffee and beer shenanigans...


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

@ObsidianSage - ? What happened??


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