# Questions for LSOL members



## NickdeBug (Jan 18, 2015)

*
Update on LSOL.*

We are getting lots of interest from a number of roasters and before I commit to anything on your behalf I wanted to run a couple of things past the collective...

1. 
*Bespoke or not bespoke, that is the question*

Some roasters are excited about creating a bespoke roast for LSOL which is great. However, I am also talking to a few micro-roasters (I think this is the correct terminology) who may be able to contribute something from their current product line. These are typically small batch roasters to may be fairly unique anyway.

What is the general feeling on this? Any major objections or are you happy to receive something interesting regardless?

2. 
*Quality or Quantity*

A couple of roasters that we are talking to typically supply from the "high-end" of the pricing scale. Under the current cost plan for LSOL (£20 per kg delivered) these might be out of range. I am not suggesting that we mess around with subs as this would be a complication too far, but there is the option of seeing how much £20 would buy. For example, would you be happy to consider 750g of a pricier bean if we thought that it was worth it? i.e. £20 for 750g still represented a good saving over retail, or a unique opportunity to try a high quality bean.

Feel free to express any feelings either way. Silence will be assumed as "meh, just as long as I get some tasty coffee!"

Cheers

Nick


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

this was the last prospective members , if they could comment

[email protected]

2 @working dog

3 @Daren

4 @Greenpotterer

5 @bean_there

6 @Awoogah

7 @Nod

8 @Gerrard Burrard

9 @Chockymonster

10 @oddknack

11 @cjonny

12 @aaroncornish

13 @Drewster

14 @Colio7

15 @jtldurnall

16 @Rhys

17 @johnealey

18 @Rdl81

19 @robashton

20 @jlarkin


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## NickdeBug (Jan 18, 2015)

Thanks Martin


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## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

I'm happy either way bespoke or off the shelf I probably won't have tried it yet.

I'd be happy to get less of a higher priced bean.


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## Drewster (Dec 1, 2013)

On the bespoke vs stock: Happy either way (with the obvious caveat, that I think you have covered by qualifying micro-roasters, I wouldn't expect to be getting stock offerings from any of the big boys  )

On the quantity front - I'd be OK with the odd "short measure" of something "special".

Obviously I wouldn't expect to stray too far into the realms of "half measure"/"twice the price".


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## cjonny (Dec 26, 2012)

Not too fussed if the beans are bespoke or not as long as they are quality beans. I wouldn't mind going for slightly less beans on the odd occasion either if it is something special on offer.


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## 4515 (Jan 30, 2013)

Happy with bespoke or off the shelf - just as long as they are interesting beans. Dont want beans that just pass you by. The main attraction to LSOL is trying new roasters or new beans - to test / challenge our taste buds or thinking. Suggest that off the shelf would need to be something that the majority of subscribers havent tried before.

As for quantity, it would be good if funds could be 'teamed and ladled' between expensive and cheaper beans but if theres a must have bean out there that we cant get for £20, less beans would be fine by me.


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

I'm easy either way, as there are pros and cons to both suggestions.

Off the shelf means that you can go back to them if you really like them, but I wouldn't want to be spending more for less on 'off the shelf' since you could probably buy a smaller amount to try anyway.

Bespoke on the other hand, I would pay for a smaller amount as I'm sure there will be an amount of wastage going into getting the roast right, which would cost (though maybe they could add a 200g bag or so of any 'waste' roast that may too dark for an LSOL but would be acceptable otherwise. for comparison notes? For example York Coffee Emporium are offering a Burundi Gihere Coffee Bundle, featuring a light and dark roast of the same bean.)

It would be nice to think that the LSOL beans are special though.


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## Gerrard Burrard (May 7, 2014)

In keeping with others who have commented already, I'm happy with both suggestions if it means we get to try some interesting offerings, particularly from small batch roasters.


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## Nod (Sep 7, 2013)

I think the most important thing is that the roaster knows the whole philosophy of lighter side of life and they are producing a product that is going to be very carefully examined and assessed by people who really care. The times when LSOL has gone best is when you had a roaster who was really lit up by the challenge and tried to produce something special. Off the stock beans roasted in an off the stock kind of way does not really suggest special product for a special group - which I think we are...

It maybe useful to find out from Coffeechap how he got top deals....

Thanks a lot for picking this up LSOL is v cool...


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## Rdl81 (Sep 8, 2014)

Don't mind.....easily pleased here


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## jtldurnall (Mar 16, 2015)

I'm in the same boat as most of the posters here. Ideally bespoke beans would be great, but if it's a special batch from a micro roaster, I'm okay with that. Equally I would sacrifice quantity for something special.


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## Awoogah (Nov 10, 2013)

Im in this for the variety of experiences, so far its been awesome. Generally £20 for a kilo of really delicious coffee seems like a bargain, so if theres the chance of trying something really special, I'd be all in for dropping some weight, though wouldn't suggest going more than one month. If you can skim some of the top for a couple of months for a final treat, that may also work


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## aaroncornish (Nov 7, 2012)

1. I am not fussed about the beans being exlcusive/bespoke - so long as they are good.

2. Again, not too fussed. If the coffee is good then I don't getting a bit less, to a point. I woudn't want to end up getting less than 750g or so, my skill level does not favour such high quality









Thanks for organising this for us


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## oddknack (Apr 8, 2014)

1.happy with off the shelf. 2. Happy with smaller quantities. Thanks for the hard work!


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## johnealey (May 19, 2014)

Easy going and happy to go with whatever works ( former dsol member, so taste buds not as attuned as others).

John


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## Chockymonster (Jan 21, 2013)

Easy pleased here,

I just enjoy trying new coffee.


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## Greenpotterer (Nov 29, 2009)

I'm happy to go with the flow always interested in trying something new, coffee that is.

Gaz


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

1. I'd prefer bespoke.... It was one of things that appealed to me when signing up for LSOL. The chance to experience something different. To be honest - if I wanted something off the shelf I'd just buy it myself.

2. Again - one of the appealing things of the LSOL was getting 4 x 250g bags to consume over a 4 week period and compare the tasting profiles with other members as the taste changed (it also represents really good vfm). Changing to 3 bags goes away from the original idea. Having said that - if it encouraged different roasters to get on board then maybe once every quarter having 3 bags for the month would be a worthwhile compromise I'd be happy to live with.


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## bean_there (Jan 9, 2015)

I don't mind bespoke or off the shelf from a micro roaster, as long as off the shelf doesn't become the norm.

Same for the quality / quantity question. Smaller quantity once in a while is fine, but not every month.


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## Fevmeister (Oct 21, 2013)

Mrboots2u said:


> this was the last prospective members , if they could comment
> 
> [email protected]
> 
> ...


I havent been part of DSOL or anything like this before. Very briefly what is the cost and what is the procedure?

Thanks


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## Colio07 (Mar 9, 2015)

Fevmeister said:


> I havent been part of DSOL or anything like this before. Very briefly what is the cost and what is the procedure?
> 
> Thanks


Tends to be £60 for 3 months, including postage, receiving 1 kg of beans each month (i.e. £20/kg). Each month the beans will come from a particular roaster who roasts specifically for CFUK LSOL (or DSOL as the case may be) members, and the beans will be all of the same type (you don't get, for example, 250g of 4 types of beans)... The organiser liases with the roasters, and you have no say in what variety/origin of beans you receive each month.

As you will note, this time around there may be some slight deviation from this procedure (bespoke vs. off the shelf, 1kg vs 750g), but this is the norm.

Signing up: Once a given 3-month cycle has finished, a call will go out for people to sign up again or give up their spaces. That's when you need to try to get in. Occasionally, there will be "guest" spaces for a particular month - you can try to sign up for them as/when they come up.

Hope that's helpful.


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