Coffee prospector finds work far from daily grind

The 36-year-old was recruited by Taylors of Harrogate who asked him to find the ingredients for the perfect brew.

He journeyed 13,000 miles and returned with what he claims are the perfect ingredients:

Top quality beans from the Nyeri region of Kenya, roasted in the Alps with the purest Arctic water from Lapland;

Holy milk from Hare Krishna cows in Watford, Hertfordshire, from a herd gifted by Beatles legend George Harrison.

Dom, who has a lifelong passion for coffee, said: “It really was the trip of a lifetime.

“It was wonderful being able to travel the world, sourcing ingredients identified as the very best, then sharing the fruits of that crazy labour with people back home.”

Dom found the best beans in Kenya which were then taken to the French Alps.

There they were roasted at one of the highest points in Europe, a 3,842 metre-high peak overlooking Chamonix, in order to significantly reduce the boiling point of the water.

With just two people per square metre of land, Ylitornio, in the idyllic wilderness of Finnish Lapland, is one of the remotest places on the planet – and also the source of the purest water in the world, which comes from the protected free-flowing springs.

Famed for its unique softness and taste, ‘Veen’ water is unusually low in mineral content – especially magnesium and calcium – two elements which would ordinarily make mineral water a poor choice for brewing coffee.

Back in the UK, milk was provided by one of the ‘happiest cows in Britain’, Shanti.

Nurtured by Hare Krishnas on a Watford farm – bequeathed to them by Beatles legend the late George Harrison – the herd of 46 holy cows is looked after in accordance with Hindu philosophy.

And finally, back in Harrogate the beans were carefully ground by coffee technician Jamie Treby before being tested on unsuspecting members of the public.

Fortunately, they gave the result the thumbs up.

Dom added: “The coffee industry is booming at the moment.

“More and more Brits are developing a taste for a quality cup of coffee with luxury, unique blends growing in popularity.

“Sales of coffee beans have increased by 19 percent across the industry and sales of our own, new luxury blends are up – a trend which we expect will continue to grow year-on-year.”

Taste tester Harry Walsh, 58, said: “I love a good cup of coffee and this is a really special brew. It’s full of flavour and when you hear the story you can see why.”

Coffee facts:

40 per cent of Britons consider themselves a coffee connoisseur;

The average Briton drinks three cups of coffee per day;

The average Briton is willing to travel 4.75 miles out of their way to get their hands on the best cup of coffee;

35 per cent of Brits said that their morning coffee is the most important thing they eat or drink all day;

23.8 per cent of Brits no longer drink instant coffee, preferring a ‘proper cup’;

13.4 per cent of Brits would call themselves a coffee snob.