Newly launched at Corinthia Palace is a specialty coffee concept that is conscious, crafted and curious. Corinthia Executive Head Chef Stefan Hogan explains how he and his team reimagine the world of plant-based coffee, cake and cuisine to create a sustainable five-star experience at Josephine’s.

Sometimes, all we need is a moment away from the hustle and bustle of daily life; the chance to sit back and sip a freshly brewed coffee, nourish the soul with a delicious treat, and recharge nestled in comfort and elegant luxury.

Indeed, the everyday coffee or lunch break can transform from the ordinary to the extraordinary – especially when Malta’s finest team of chefs are exploring new avenues to craft a specialty coffee concept that puts the mind at ease as well as the body.

Opened this year at Corinthia Palace in Attard, Josephine’s redefines the coffee break by placing sustainability at its core. While staying conscious of the daily choices that affect the planet, the expert team crafts menus that stem from the finest plant-based ingredients and is always curious to discover new and different flavours to enhance the exquisite plant-based menu.

“When we discussed Josephine’s as a concept, we knew that we wanted to develop a conscious product,” said Corinthia Executive Head Chef Stefan Hogan, who shaped the idea alongside pastry chef Mark McBride and executive sous chef Jonathan Zammit. “Initially we discussed creating a vegetarian concept, but the more we talked about it, the stronger we felt about making Josephine’s plant-centric and creating a product grounded in what we can achieve in our microcosm to benefit the planet. The ethos of everything we do at Josephine’s is built around authenticity, quality and sustainability.”

A key aspect of Josephine’s conscious culinary experience is its partnership with Origin coffee, an independently owned speciality coffee roaster that is Certified B Corp – a gold standard certification that measures a company’s social and environmental performance. Origin’s Head of Coffee, multi-award-winning taster and qualified Q-grader Freda Yuan, travels the world in search of the highest quality coffee beans to perfect the art of making coffee.

“We knew we wanted to work with Origin,” added Chef Hogan, describing the range of Origin coffees on the Josephine’s menu including espresso, double espresso, americano, macchiato, cappuccino, flat white, mocha and latte. “Origin is on the same wavelength as we are in terms of creating a product based on ethically sourced ingredients, which reaches the consumer via a careful process that prioritises sustainability and quality.”

This fusion of quality and ethics also features across Josephine’s carefully curated plant-based menu of sandwiches, cakes, desserts and top-of-the-range non-dairy chocolate and milks, as Chef Hogan explains. “The Josephine’s menu is select and changes regularly, since it is fuelled by our experimentation and curiosity for new plant-based, seasonal ingredients. Every item on the menu has a distinct thought process about why we are serving it, following discussions with Mark and Jonathan in which we bounce off ideas to ensure it is tasty, looks exceptional and is part of a broad selection across the menu. Josephine’s simply would not exist without our excellent team’s innovation, creativity and passion.”

Currently, guests at Josephine’s can indulge in a mouth-watering selection of sandwiches include ciabattas, walnut bread, toasted barley bread and focaccias – also available gluten-free – with a delicious variety of plant-based fillings from Lemon Verbena Pesto to Seitan Coronation.

Meanwhile, ingredients such as pistachio, coconut milk, citrus, dates, orange blossom, oats, heritage grains and chocolate punctuate plant-based bakes such as a signature lemon cake, energy balls, flapjacks, cookies, croissants and Danish pastries.

The signature lemon cake.

“Our signature cake has a story behind it – it’s a lemon cake inspired by our namesake Josephine,” reveals Chef Hogan. “We try to keep the ingredients and flavours as local as possible, as seasonal as possible, as fresh as possible. For our Christmas event, for instance, we will supplement our menu with ethically sourced, delicious products crafted using festive flavours. Here, we’re talking clementine, we’re talking chestnuts, we’re talking spices. We want Josephine’s to offer a unique, conscious and crafted menu that is on par with non-plant-centric foods and perfectly pairs with a cup of Origin coffee.”

More information about Josephine’s at https://www.corinthia.com/palace-hotel-and-spa/restaurants-bars/the-story-of-josephines/