Most great morning routines start off with a cup of coffee, but do you know exactly what goes into your cup? Morning Matters values the importance of starting your morning off right and supports ethical coffee choices.

Lisbon’s specialty coffee scene has been steadily growing over the years, with consumers wanting to know how and where coffee is brewed and by who. According to Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), a specialty coffee is a coffee that scores over 80 on a hundred-point scale which is set by SCA and is recognised for its distinctive attributes. Moreover, specialty coffee champions coffee producers and supports ethical and sustainable practises.

The 29 year old founder of Morning Matters, Inês de Ayala, told The Portugal News that she was tired of the taste of Portuguese burnt coffee which led her to discover the world of specialty coffee and embark on her own solo project. “The idea had been brewing in my mind for two years but I decided to launch on 13 February 2024, which is fittingly Galantines Day. For me, that date seemed perfect because the brand has a niche, with my target audience being girls who like to have a morning routine at home and value quality products.”

Credits: Supplied Image; Author: Client;

Inês explained that prior to its launch, she used her Instagram to show different coffee shops around Lisbon to her followers. “From there, I started talking to my local baristas who told me about specialty coffee which is different to the commercial coffee we tend to drink in Portugal. This led me to discover this flavoursome coffee, with Barcelona being one of the hubs for specialty coffees in Europe along with Copenhagen.”

I dove deeper into the specialty coffee scene in Lisbon and started attending events and conferences where I got to talk to some Portuguese roasters and see that it is an emerging outlet. Many roasters were open for collaboration and that sparked having my own brand with good roasters who have good coffee knowledge and coffee producers.”

Credits: Supplied Image; Author: Client;

Adding, “This kind of coffee has a much higher quality and is all about transparency in the production and the roasting whereas European coffee is known for its burnt bitter taste and you just drink it to wake up. Commercial coffee is roasted a lot to hide the defects of the coffee and usually they buy it for the cheapest price.”


Morning Matters Coffees

You can find Morning Matters Coffees on their website, where you will see three profiles of coffee as well as accessories and more. Alternatively, if you are in the Lisbon area you can find the Everyday Espresso at the Lovely Concept Store and a brunch place called Quest.

Credits: Supplied Image; Author: Client;

The Everyday Espresso is 100% arabica coffee from Brazil and has delicate rose (floral) and apple (fruity) aromas. Once brewed, it has a silky body, medium acidity, and notes of caramel. Passion Pour Coffee is also 100% arabica coffee from Brazil that has been awarded multiple times in the Minas Gerais region. It is a fermented coffee with punchy aromas of apple and passion fruit but once brewed it has wine acidity, spices and notes of chocolate. Finally, their latest coffee is for those looking to keep away from the jitters, Delulu Decaf, is a sweet arabica coffee from the Popayán region in Colombia with flavour notes of milk chocolate, hazelnut and blackcurrant.


Morning Routines

Inês is an advocate for a great morning routine, “It is so hard to have a slow morning every day but the health benefits of that are so important. what I really want to convey is that you can have a little time for yourself in the morning before all the madness of the day. Put aside your phone, your house chores and your work emails and just have that moment for yourself, whether that be 5 or 10 minutes with no distractions and to prepare yourself with a positive mindset.”

Credits: Supplied Image; Author: Client;

“I know that can be hard with everything going on in the world and in our own lives but I think for me, because I am a very stressed person and I had to rewire my brain because it causes a lot of health issues, I found the routine of making a filter coffee in the morning brings me back into doing something physical and being in the present moment. I see the health benefits of the whole ritual. What I want to portray with my brand is to just slow down and have that selfish moment in the morning.”

Credits: Supplied Image; Author: Client;

“My idea behind Morning Matters is to be the universe of morning routines, so I want to branch out and stock objects that make up your morning routine like pyjamas, ceramics, journaling books and tea and to collaborate with great smaller brands in Lisbon.”

Inês concluded by revealing that her dream is to open a specialty coffee shop one day. “I would love to have a physical space where people can enjoy activities to log off as well as great quality coffee.”

For more information, please visit https://themorningmatters.com/ which is in both English & Portuguese. You can also keep up to date with their social media for coffee related events https://www.instagram.com/morningmatters_/

Author

Following undertaking her university degree in English with American Literature in the UK, Cristina da Costa Brookes moved back to Portugal to pursue a career in Journalism, where she has worked at The Portugal News for 3 years. Cristina’s passion lies with Arts & Culture as well as sharing all important community-related news.

Cristina da Costa Brookes