Young scientists from flavour and fragrance ingredients company Treatt have helped an independent coffee shop to serve up a taste of Christmas.

Treatt, an EADT/EDP Top 100 company based in Northern Way, Bury St Edmunds, was approached by Jessica Darnell of The Coffee House, located across town on the Moreton Hall estate, to see if the firm could create some innovative flavours with a seasonal theme for her shop’s coffee and chocolate drinks.

Treatt, which works closely with many major international clients, was pleased to be able to collaborate with a local firm and tasked four of its young scientists – Magdalena Baczewska, Emma Osborne, Bethany Clarke-Davis and Zoe Maddison – with the project.

They were delighted to be offered the chance to work more creatively with the ingredients they use in their everyday jobs and came up with three Christmassy flavours – Winter Spice, Mince Pie and Spiced Tangerine.

Magdalena Baczewska, who has been at Treatt for three years working as a laboratory analyst, said: “I have had so much fun playing with the different ingredients and coming up with different flavours.” She developed the Spiced Tangerine flavour to create a feel of sitting in front of an open fire with a cup of cocoa.

Emma Osborne, quality control laboratory analyst, and Bethany Clarke-Davis, development chemist, both joined Treatt straight from university and developed the Mince Pie flavour together which turned out to be just as successful as they had hoped.

Emma said: “Mince pie seemed an obvious flavour choice as it is a much loved treat at Christmas time, and it was great to create a flavour that tasted just like the real thing!” Bethany added: “Being able to be creative and showcase what we can do was great fun.”

Zoe Maddison, the youngest member of the team, having joined Treatt straight from Thurston Community College just four months ago, worked on the warming Winter Spice flavour. “It was great to go to The Coffee Shop to try out the Treatt-flavoured drinks,” she said.

Jessica Darnell of The Coffee House said “The Coffee House prides itself on using as many local ingredients as possible. Every year we put our heads together to come up with our own take of the ‘Christmas drink’ and every year the high street competition gets harder and harder.

“This year, we wanted to put a ‘Heston’, style twist on the traditionally sweeter than average latte and enlisted the help of our friends at Treatt. Together, mental images of Christmas were bounced around resulting in flavours with a festive feel created by the ingenious scientists at Treatt who are Bury based and right on our doorstep.

“The Winter Spice lattes are flying out as well as the Spiced Tangerine Hot Chocolates topped with whipped cream and a sprig of crystallised orange.

“With the help of Treatt we hope to come up with a year-round syrup where the proceeds go to St Nicholas Hospice as well as our 1p from every coffee sold,” she added. “This Christmas looks to be a very merry one at The Coffee House.”