Here at our roastery in Leigh, between the red brick mills and the Bridgewater Canal, the question isn’t just what coffee to drink, but how you drink it. My name is Garth, and I’m the head roaster here at Tank Coffee.

I spend my days with “Grace,” our Turkish-made roaster, getting to know every bean we source from our partner farms in Africa. A lot of generic health advice online talks about adding things to your coffee, but it misses the most important part: the coffee itself.

Beyond the Brew: Why Additives Aren’t a Dirty Word Here

Any additive will change the profile of a carefully roasted bean. The key is to make that change an enhancement, not a mask. We aren’t trying to cover up bad coffee with sugar.

We’re taking a world-class, single-origin bean and seeing how we can complement its inherent notes for a better sensory and wellness experience. Forget generic advice; this is about specific pairings that work.

The Ceylon Cinnamon & Ethiopia Sidamo Pairing

Cardiologists often recommend Ceylon cinnamon for its potential to help with blood sugar levels without the high coumarin content of common Cassia cinnamon. But from a roaster’s perspective, its delicate, almost citrusy sweetness is the real prize.

I tell anyone who loves our Great Taste Award-winning Ethiopia Sidamo to try it with a pinch of true Ceylon. The Sidamo has bright, wine-like acidity and stone fruit notes. The cinnamon doesn’t crush this, it balances it, cutting the acidity just enough and amplifying the warm, aromatic finish.

It turns a beautiful cup into something more complex and comforting, especially on a damp Mancunian morning.

For the Espresso Drinker: Flavanols, Nitric Oxide, and Our Waterfall Espresso

Medical articles often mention that flavanol-rich cocoa can support nitric oxide production, which helps relax blood vessels. This is interesting, but what does it mean for your cup?

Our Waterfall Espresso Special Edition is loved for its rich, syrupy body and notes of dark chocolate and caramel. Adding a teaspoon of unsweetened, non-alkalized cocoa powder doesn’t just add flavour, it deepens what’s already there.

The cocoa’s slight bitterness elevates the coffee’s inherent chocolate notes into something closer to a 70% cacao bar. This is a pairing that enhances the robust character of the espresso, making for a powerful and resonant cup that also aligns with the heart-health benefits researchers are studying.

What We Don’t Add, and Why It Matters

You’ll notice we don’t mention refined sugars, syrups, or most artificial sweeteners. That’s intentional. When we work directly with farmers like Ronda and Gashaw in the Sidamo region, we’re paying for quality cherries.

Their hard work produces beans with incredible natural sweetness and complexity. To bury that under refined sugar is to undo the craft at every step of the chain, from the farm in Ethiopia to our roastery here in Greater Manchester.

Also See:

A splash of plant milk can add creaminess, but the goal should always be to taste the coffee you bought.