Black Midden

A blend of 2 beans from Honduras and Brazil. The story behind the name: Black Midden gets its name from the reef of rocks at the mouth of the River Tyne, seen at low tide and where when a large northern swell appears, surfers make the most of the opportunity. The Black Middens is particularly dangerous as it is mostly below the water at high tide when shifting sand bars form around it. Many ships have been blown on to the Black Middens and wrecked – five ships during three days of storms in 1864, whose wrecks resulted in 34 deaths within close sight of the shore. In order to mitigate such disasters, the Lights of North Shields were constructed in 1536 on the orders of Henry VIII, to guide mariners into the river. The first Volunteer Life Brigade was formed in Tynemouth in 1864, to rescue sailors who navigated into danger despite the lights.