I say Doughnut, you say Donut...

...or dolcho, koeksister, vetkoek, sfenj, ngàuhleisōu, zoolbia, bamiyeh, sufganiyah, shuāngbāotāi, Bauernkrapfen, smoutebollen, donitsi, munkki, Berliner, loukoumas, kleinuhringur, ciambelle, oliebollen, Pączki, Zigerkrapfen. Phew, what a tasty mouthful!

This week we celebrated National Doughnut Week in the best possible way – with a basket of doughnuts and a few cups of coffee!

Doughnuts have a hazy history. One theory suggests that they were invented in North America by Dutch settlers. In the 19th century doughnuts were sometimes referred to as oliekoek, a Dutch word meaning, ‘oil cake’ – which backs up the theory that they established an early form of the doughnut that we all know and love.

We think there’s nothing better than a warm mug of freshly brewed coffee to pair with our doughnuts – what do you like to enjoy yours with?

So, Fathers Day is rapidly approaching, and as we all know, it’s pretty easy to be caught unawares!  Why not surprise him using your amazing baking skills with the help of Chez Toi Coffee!

Our special recipe for Sumatra Mini Choc Cakes should blow his top!  Combining  the superbly earthy tastes and low acidity of our Takengon Fairtrade Certified coffee, with the bitter/sweet taste of Dark Chocolate.  The result has a very suble hint of coffee and is a superb compliment to our favourite drink!

You will need:

• 125g Unsalted Butter


• 100g Dark Chocolate


• 185 ml of strong coffee (a 4 cup cafètiere of Chez Toi Sumatran)


• 250g Sugar


• 1 egg


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract


• 1 teaspoon baking powder


• 80g plain all purpose flour


• 30g Cocoa

(from an original recipe in Marie Claire ‘Fresh’ by Michelle Cranston)

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F / Gas 4).  Put the butter, chocolate and coffee in a saucepan over a low heat and leave it until the chocolate has melted.  Add the sugar, stirring until it has dissolved, then pour the chocolate mixture into a mixing bowl.  Whisk in the egg and vanilla before sifting in the dry ingredients.  Stir everything together.

Spoon the mixture into 12 patty cake tins lined with cases and bake for 15 minutes.  Allow the cakes to cool then  serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  Makes 12.

Or if you’re feeling a little more lazy, why not take a look here at our range of gifts, ideal for Fathers day!

Much is made of the pastime of wine tasting and the many categories and subtle differences which a taster can determine.   What many people don’t realise however, is that tea is just as sophisticated and a similar tasting process can reveal the wondrous variety of our much loved cuppa!

The term cupping is used to describe the examination and tasting of different teas to determine quality, taste, aroma, briskness, body and colour.  Cupping does not involve brewing the perfect cup of tea.  The purpose is to compare fairly the quality of the tea.   As tea can vary in taste from shipments, processing and sources, cupping can be used to ensure quality control and enhance the overall tea drinking experience.

A taster will evaluate several things about a tea, these are:

• The overall appearance and aroma of the dry leaf.
• The colour of the liquid.
• The  flavour of the liquor.
• The aroma and appearance of the wet leaf.

In future blog posts, we plan to reveal the amazing properties of our extensive range of Newby Teas, in the meantime why not try some yourself?

Assam is the largest state in the northeast of India, it is India’s main tea growing region with approximately 655 estates.

One of India’s least populated regions, the area is blighted with heavy monsoon rain, and strong winds from June to September with daytime temperatures rising to 103F (40 °C), creating greenhouse like conditions.

Historically, Assam has been the second commercial tea production region after southern China.  Southern China and Assam are the only two regions in the world with native teaplants. Today, Assam produces 400million kgs of tea, per year the equivalent of over 13 million cups.

Newby’s Assam tea has the characteristic rich and malty flavour you would expect with an added sweet aroma of molasses.  It's now available in the Chez Toi shop with a 10% discount whilst it's featured, for more information and to buy click here.

A belated winter decided to join us in March, covering many areas of the South with a thick blanket of snow.

With a blizzard whipping up around us as we ventured to the office, a very welcome cup of tea was very much needed, and Chocolate tea was the perfect choice. With real white chocolate chips, this lavish creamy tea has an amber liquor combining a mild caramel note with a rich mocha chocolate flavour. It’s such a treat, and compliments a creamy bowl of porridge perfectly.

If you’re in need of a wake-up call then we highly recommend a hot cup of our Brazilian coffee. Sourced from the world’s biggest producer of coffee and Rainforest Alliance certified, this coffee has a malty, sweet and nutty flavour with distinct notes of peanut, treacle tart and buttered toast. Perfect to enjoy slowly over your breakfast!

Chez Toi's latest featured coffee is an excellent full bodied Sumatran from the PPKGO co-operative (Persatuan Petani Kopi Gayo Organik or Gayo Organic Coffee Farmers Association) from Takengon in the North of the island.

This co-operative is renowned for its 100% organic and Fairtrade coffee, which, as well as excelling in quality, guarantees a fair income for farmers.  These factors have been instrumental in re-building this part of Sumatra that was largely destroyed by the Tsunami in 2004.

So what makes our Sumatran Coffee so special?  Its unique properties come from a process locally known as ‘Giling Basah’. In this process, a pulping machine called a ‘luwak’ removes the skin and outer layers of the coffee cherry.  The remaining beans are stored for a day, washed, partially dried and milled, a process that gives them a unique bluish-green appearance.  Processing in this way reduces acidity and increases body, resulting in the unique properties Sumatran coffee is well known for.

Click here for more information.

We'll bet that you've heard the often quoted statistic that coffee is the second most traded commodity after oil. But did you know it is the most valuable and widely traded tropical agricultural product?

Behind the vast mechanics of the global coffee trade are the millions of small farmers who produce the cumulative amounts of green coffee necessary to supply foreign traders and roasters.  Organisations such as Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance have become increasingly popular amongst the public, as they seek to give farmers a fair share of the profits, whilst ensuring the sustainability of the environment. 

Unfortunately not all farmers are willing to join a co-operative. Sadly, many smaller estates cannot afford certification as it can cost up to $5000 to achieve.

Our green bean supplier buys commercially priced coffees without compromising on quality; they were featured in the film Black Gold which showed them to be fair and prepared to pay a higher price. More recently they have been able to offer greater traceability on their conventional coffees, which enables them to promote an open relationship in the supply chain where possible.

All of the coffees in our Chez Toi range can be traced back to the farm or co-operative of origin, giving you peace of mind when buying.  Click here to see our range of gourmet coffees.

The benefits of using a convection roaster are consistency and the speed in heating through to the centre of the bean, thus ensuring that beans do not become baked or burnt on the outside. 

We roast all our coffee to a medium-dark roast that preserves the original flavour and acidity of the bean and brings a pleasant body and taste to the final cup.  It gives our coffees a rich full bodied taste, extremely popular with coffee lovers!  

Featuring 48 sachets of Chez Toi Grand Cru gourmet cafetiere coffee, 6 of each origin, plus our Cafetière Mug...

..our new gift box is an ideal introduction to the uninitiated and connoisseur alike.  Order now while our stocks last!

Nearly 80 million bags of coffee are exported around the globe every year...

...originating from just over 50 different coffee growing countries across the equator. Chez Toi Gourmet cafetiére coffees are carefully sourced from 7 of these locations, giving you a great range of tastes and aromas from around the world.  

Visit our coffee page for more information.

Welcome to our brand new blog about all things Chez Toi!

Imagine being able to enjoy great tasting gourmet coffee wherever you are.  Introducing Chez Toi Grand Cru Cafetière coffees, specially packed in airtight sealed portion controlled sachets.  

With Chez Toi there is no mess, no fuss just consistency.   With 7 specially selected Gourmet coffees from estates and co-operatives around the world there are tastes and aromas to suite every palate and every occasion.  

Just add boiling water using one of our cafetière products (or one of your own) and enjoy, at home, at work, at play!