This post is sponsored by Harris Coffee and Nuffnang
Do you ever get to a point in your day and think I missed my morning coffee, that must be why I am feeling a little low? It's not just the pick me up that coffee gives me, but also the daily ritual around coffee. Whether it's brewing it at home on your own coffee maker of choice or catching up with the girls after school drop off, 5.9 million Australians, including me, start their day off with a coffee.
Harris Coffee is celebrating 130 years in business this year and they are asking Australians to share their coffee obsession stories for a chance to win one of 130 personalised anniversary prize packs. Harris are also running an in store promotion with three lucky coffee lovers winning a trip to an international coffee heartland of their choice - Brazil, Africa or Costa Rica.

As a coffee lover I have many coffee obsession stories. I could tell you about how my first memory of espresso coffee at home, was when my dad came home with this funky Italian made piece of coffee making genius. He set about introducing me to Italian coffee culture by making me the perfect home made espresso coffee, only to set the pressure valve way too high. When he released it, the cap flew off spreading wet ground coffee all over the kitchen. No one was harmed in the making of that coffee, but my mother was cleaning coffee from every nook of that kitchen for weeks to come. Dad was great in the kitchen until it came to the clean up.
Or I could tell you about a spunky boyfriend I had in my early 20s, who drove a cute coupe Alfa Romeo and really introduced me to the burgeoning outdoor cafe scene in East Sydney. That always involved lots of espresso coffee and believe me, espresso coffee wasn't the only thing he introduced me to. Enough said!!!!
But today I am going to share the story of a lovely event I attended recently hosted by Harris ambassador Ada Nicodemou and Wayne Archer, Master Blender at Harris.
We had some lovely coffee, made on a beautiful espresso machine by Daniel Vergnano, Harris Master Roaster.
His hot tip was to make sure the coffee holder on the machine is dry and that you stir the coffee so that the best of the coffee does not accumulate at the bottom of your cup.
Over coffee we had lovely catch up with blogging friends.
and of course I couldn't help but admire the beautiful private home in Darling Point, where the event was held.
How cute is the globe with place names attached?
Then it was down to business. Wayne and Daniel introduced us to the many different varieties that Harris sources from all over the world and how they blend and mix the beans to create some of their signature styles of coffee.
We tried the different varieties as black coffee. No milk, which as a latte drinker was a challenge for me. Interestingly the one I liked best was the less intense variety, Premium. I was not keen on the Black Label in the tasting, but had happily drunk it whilst talking to Mel, because it had skim milk in it.
It just goes to show coffee is such an acquired taste and there is no right or wrong blend, it is just a matter of choosing what is right for you.
We also learned that almost 87 million coffees are drunk in Australia each week and the average coffee drinker has 15 coffees a week. I think that makes me below average on this one, as I have one a day in the morning and feel ratty if I don't.
We then got the chance to win one of these gorgeous coffee machines by guessing the number of coffee beans in the Harris 500 gram bag. I said 650 and was way off, as it is nearer 3000. I would have loved to upgrade to one of these fabulous machines at the beach house, so I could make guests a beautiful espresso coffee when entertaining or just to make my morning coffee at home. What a luxury. Currently I use a plunger coffee maker, which is fine, but being a barista in my own home would be nice for espresso and a big saving too.
After the coffee tasting it was back to the gorgeous food all washed down with some lovely coffee of course.
Harris are running 3 giveaways right now. Two on their
Facebook page
and one right here on this blog.
Giveaway 1: For your chance to win 1 of 3 coffee lover holidays worth $20,000 enter with Harris Coffee
here.
Giveaway 2: To win one of 130 anniversary prize packs including a personalised signature blend pack, a Bodum travel cup with plunger and your coffee obsession story turned into a piece of art go
here.
OR
Giveaway 3:
To win a a Harris Coffee prize pack on this blog containing the following:
Harris Espresso beans 500g
Harris Espresso ground 200g
Harris Premium beans 500g
Harris Black label ground 200g
Harris Reserve Colombian ground 1kg
RRP: $63.00
Leave a comment on this blog, telling me your coffee obsession story.
The giveaway on this blog is now closed. Anne M congratulations you are the winner and I hope you enjoy your coffee.
Terms and conditions of Giveaway 3 can be viewed
here.
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