I stumbled onto unexpectedly exceptional coffee in Barbados and it was not even in a coffee shop!
The Best Coffee In Barbados Isn’t In A Coffee Shop
Regular readers know that I seek out great coffee wherever I am in the world. When we landed in Bridgetown, we had a few hours before our ship departed and I wanted to enjoy “one last” cup of coffee in case the coffee on my cruise ship was bad.
I found a place called Wyndhams Bajan Coffee Roasters that looked great and so we took a taxi there from Grantley Adams International Airport in Bridgetown. (small gripe: taxis are so darn expensive in Barbados!)
When we got there, the place was locked. There was a roasting area in a separate structure that was also locked. Darn, I thought.
I rang the bell and was pleasantly surprised when a man came out from the back and opened the door.
I asked him if the coffee shop was open and he told me, “Mate, this isn’t a coffee shop!”
But rather than turn me away, he invited me in and introduced himself.
His name was Dominic Wyndham-Gittens and he and his wife own Wyndhams. His mission is to bring great coffee to Barbados and his on-site roastery creates several blends that he now uses to supply restaurants and hotels (and even ships his coffee worldwide).
We spent the next hour discussing coffee and I just loved that Dominic took such pride in his work, had immense knowledge of coffee (far more than I do…), and that his enterprise creates jobs and opportunities in Barbados. I learned a lot about the nuances of coffee, its flavor, and the ability to introduce flavors into coffee.
His “coffee lab” for testing was on-site and he invited me to a delicious flat white.
He even made a hot chocolate for my son Agustine that Augustine raves about to this day (“Daddy, can we go back to Barbados for some more of that hot chocolate?”). He claims it was the best hot chocolate he has ever had.
Yes, I bought some coffee and have since greatly enjoyed it at home (I bought the Dawn Patrol and Ethiopian Wush Wush blends). You can buy coffee from him too and I quite recommend it…as soon as I get through all the Ethiopian coffee I picked up recently in Addis Ababa, I intend to order more coffee from Wyndhams.
And what a cool way to spend time in Barbados…I may not have found a great coffee shop, but I certainly stumbled onto some great coffee.
That’s an amazing story and it shows how a bit of flexibility and be open to go outside of the box can be the difference between great and mediocre businesses. The guy could have easily told you to take a walk, this is not a coffee shop and be done with it. But no, he turned it into an opportunity and you now shared his business with lots of people.
Just yesterday, I saw the opposite of this. A stupid by the book employee that gave up an easy opportunity to gain a customer and make a kid happy. There is a local donut shop here that is amazing. I was driving by and decided to grab some donuts to my kids. As I walk inside there is this father with his son (maybe 5 years old) buying donuts. The kid was struggling to choose between a vanilla donut with sprinkles or a chocolate donut without sprinkles. He loved chocolate but really wanted a donut with sprinkles. What would a smart employee do in that case???? Well, how about grab the chocolate donut and drop some sprinkles on top of it? Easy, right? (BTW, I saw the tray full of sprinkles that she used for the vanilla donuts). But no. She stood there and told the kid he had to make a choice between chocolate or sprinkles because those were his only options. The kid ended up choosing the chocolate without sprinkles and left. I didn’t say a word but wondered how stupid she was and how she missed an opportunity there. Unfortunately, not everyone is like this guy you met in Bermuda.
@Santastico … I didn’t realize that Bermuda is one of the Barbados_es .
I think we all get what he meant–and he’s quite right.
Not to denigrate any employees, but it is often clear to me why employees are employees and owners are owners. It takes a certain skill set to run a company.
@Matthew … The key to being ‘a successful businessman’ , is having ‘a successful business’ .
@Matthew … An example is the expensive taxi , which ought to be commended for being a successful business . Good that you helped his taxi business .
I have observed certain common traits in successful business people. It’s not uniform (i.e. sometimes it is just being at the right place at the right time or a good inheritance), but there is far more to a “successful businessperson” than just being (financially) successful.
@Matthew
Some surfers have went on to become successful business people. First came the waves , then came the riches , then came the bitches.
@Alert: My bad. I mixed up the B’s.
“ (“Daddy, can we go back to Barbados for some more of that hot chocolate?”)”
Love your adventures Matt, but damn you are going to have to temper his expectations in life. Smiling emoji.
I recommend Chartres , France , for superior hot chocolate . Especially good on a drizzly cold day .
Why are you wearing a sweater in the Caribbean?
It was a long-sleeved t-shirt…because my skin is sensitive to the sun.
You should do a post on your top ten favorite coffee shops around the world! Or like the best coffee shop on every continent.
I need to explore more places – I feel like I could do a list like that, but it is woefully incomplete.
At least with first class I’ve flown every first class product except Kuwait and Korean.
You need to start wearing sneakers, those black, out of style loafers don’t suit you well anymore, you’re too cool for those!
Those dear Ferragamo’s have traveled the world with me for a decade. Sure, they might not be hip, but I love them.
Horse bit loafers are widely considered to be a bit of a statement and classy. Keep wearing them. For sneakers I got a little tired of Vans and switched to PF Flyers. They have a great selection.
It’s Bridgetown, not Bridgeport.
Yes, 2/3 was pretty good for me, but I fixed it.
How would you rate this one against Teco in Guatemala?
Oh, I loved Teco…that’s coffee from the source. But this was such a great experience in a fairly remote place.
Happy to see you had a lovely experience on our island, Barbados.
This was a great read and I am pleased to hear of your travels.
Hope you visit again soon.
I’m glad you had a wonderful experience here in Barbados. Just want to point out that Grantley Adams International Airport is not in Bridgetown. They’re actually in two complete different parishes. The airport is in Christ Church and the capital Bridgetown (where you boarded your ship) is in St. Michael.
I truly agree with you Matthew. I wanted a change from my regular coffee (I live in Barbados) and came across this place. After ringing the doorbell we were greeted by a pleasant young lady followed by the lovely smell of coffee. We tried different flavors of their coffee before we made our pick. We took Cane dog and Soup Bowl. The experience was exceptional, inviting and cozy.