Meet the baristas who are reinventing how we use coffee

27 April 2016 - 02:00 By Rita-Mari Ludike
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From cold brews to skin products, this spot is tailored for coffee enthusiasts who are looking for a little more than conventional products

When roaming Pretoria’s famed Boeremark in the early morning hours you will stumble along Barking Speciality Coffee. This little coffee stand is packed with beautifully packaged goods that will have you coming back for more. With a selection of single-origin African bean cold brew coffees, coffee tonic, herb sodas, and coffee skincare products, Barking is a one-stop coffee lovers’ paradise.

The barkers

Husband and wife team, Stephan and Janri Barker, are the masterminds behind Barking Speciality Coffee. Their surname was the inspiration behind the name and the dog that represents their brand, the Africanis – a dog shaped by Africa for Africa. Janri’s love for good coffee started while she was studying and had to work late nights. Stephan’s love for coffee developed through spending a lot of time with Janri. When they started dating, Stephan still thought a good cappuccino was made with cream and sugar, and now he is an even bigger coffee snob than Janri.

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How did Barking Speciality Coffee come about?

We were at the Pretoria Boeremark virtually every Saturday for our weekly shopping and thought having our own stall would be great. Being coffee enthusiasts we were already roasting our own beans and making cold brew at home. The idea was an amalgamation of our love for good coffee and our enjoyment of local markets.

What product would you recommend to a first-timer?

For the purist, we recommend the Original. For those with a sweet tooth, the Caramel flavour. If you want something more exotic you have to try the Coffee Tonic.

What is the inspiration behind your herb sodas and coffee skincare range?

We wanted to offer an alternative for those wanting something other than coffee. Having some herbs in the garden, the idea for cordials was sparked. We diluted the cordials with soda water, so that they were ready to drink, and Herb Soda was born. It turns out coffee grind has great benefits for your skin, and having a lot around we created the body scrub.

Any future plans or events we can look out for?

New markets are popping up all over the place, so hopefully we will be at a market near you soon. We would love for specialty food stores to stock our products, and we are gearing up to offer nitro coffee, which we are really excited about. Call 072-325-0735.

 

This article was originally published in one of the Sunday Times Neighbourhood: Property and Lifestyle guides. Visit yourneighbourhood.co.za, like YourNeighbourhoodZA on Facebook and follow YourHoodZA on Twitter.

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