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You’ve officially been named Head Roaster — how does that feel?
I’m very happy with how far I’ve come after working for this great company for the last 9 years. It’s a great accomplishment and I intend to put my best into it; the future is bright.
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You’ve worked your way through pretty much every role in the company — dishwasher, barista, cook, delivery driver… What do you think that experience brings to your approach as a roaster?
These have all been building blocks for me as I have moved through life. I think we could all take a page out of Anthony Bourdain’s book in that working in the service industry gives you a deep appreciation of humility, empathy, pride in your work, respect for your coworkers, customers, and life in general. “The world would be a kinder place if more people tried it”
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Do you remember the first time you stepped into the roastery? What was going through your head back then?
It was after I had started at The Parsonage, at our original location on North Park, and it was a different world. I had very little understanding of what specialty coffee was actually like and my mind was blown the first time I had a single origin Ethiopian. I didn’t understand any of it, but I wanted to.
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What’s been the most surprising part of learning to roast coffee?
That coffee is very dynamic and can be finicky. Learning about what tastes good and what tastes bad, and what the general public is going to enjoy so we can roast a product that appeals to a wider audience and brings them together, as coffee should.
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You’re also starting to train in green coffee buying. What excites you most about that side of the process?
I have been most excited about trying to work with farms that put an emphasis on sustainability, women owned co-ops, and are bee friendly. We do our best to work with local buyers as well.
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Looking back at how you started with us as such a young adult — did you ever imagine this is where you’d end up?
I did not. This has been a long road and I’ve changed and grown a lot as a person and there’s still a lot of learning to be done. I’m both very happy and lucky to be where I am right now and none of it would be possible without the help of my wonderful co-workers and employers.
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What’s your favourite coffee we roast right now — and how do you brew it at home?
Right now my favourite has been the Ethiopian we have in, I am a huge sucker for most Ethiopian coffees. The Peru and Costa Rica are also great. I generally use a french press at home but sometimes a v60 pour over or AeroPress.
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What’s one thing you wish more people understood about roasting coffee?
That it doesn’t need to be roasted very dark to yield great taste results. Many coffees I’ve tried out of country during travelling have been roasted so dark that the flavour is often burnt and quite uniform with everything else. It removes the natural character that the bean has, which is determined by a lot of hard work on the part of those who grow it and process it. Like all other consumable plants, there are many factors that define the qualities of coffee, and I think it’s a shame to take the diversity out of it.
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What motivates you when you walk into the roastery each morning?
Getting to share a coffee with my coworkers, discussing our time after work the previous day, and what needs to be done that day.
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If you could tell your younger self — the dishwasher version of you — one thing, what would it be?
Keep on truckin’.
