This February, our friends at La Marzocco invited us to be their Roaster in Residence. As part of this collaboration, they asked us a series of questions about our journey, philosophy, and vision for specialty coffee. Here is the full interview.
What was that first impulse or moment when you decided to dedicate yourself to specialty coffee?
J: It was around 2006, when Jon Willassen described the coffee from the 'La Montañita' farm in El Salvador to me. After tasting it and agreeing with his comments (a coffee that tasted purely of strawberry), this world captivated me.
What inspires you when selecting coffees and defining roasting profiles?
J: It's a complex process, as all our lots come from direct dealings with producers, and we don't follow a single criterion.
In our beginnings, in 2012, we worked with great Cup of Excellence champion producers, whose vision for quality was ingrained in their DNA. They opened the doors of their farms to us and allowed us to experiment with different fermentations and drying methods, which had a notable impact on many of their coffees. However, we are drawn to challenges, so we decided to transfer these practices to small producers, thus expanding their economic and social impact. Since then, we have collaborated directly with more than 30 producers from various origins, traveling each season and working hand-in-hand with them.
It is very important for us that the process of each coffee always respects the terroir and the variety. This carries over to the roast, where we try to extract the maximum flavors that originally come in the lots we work with.
Is there any philosophy or approach you always keep in mind?
J: Nordic countries have always been a strong influence and a great inspiration for the way they develop their roasts and how some of them have a very interesting approach to 'sourcing'.
I also firmly believe in continuous learning. Consolidating knowledge to minimize errors, and accepting them for what they are when they happen: we are human, and they are our greatest source of learning. We like to deal with people from different cultures, learning and being able to improve along the way.
How do you see the evolution of specialty coffee in Barcelona and Spain in recent years?
J: Given that I am naturally involved with coffee and that throughout my life at home, this wonderful world has always been discussed, I have a privileged perspective, being an ingredient in the current mix. The growth and attention that coffee has garnered in recent years are very interesting. I believe there is a generational shift happening, and the exodus of commercial coffee consumers is growing, which is interesting. Now, our duty, along with that of our colleagues, is to maintain firm values and try to create a community with a clear identity. I hope it will always be related to quality and respect for the product.
What changes have you noticed in consumers, coffee shops, or roasters?
J: At the consumer level, they are increasingly demanding because more and more people prepare coffee at home and evaluate it. Since Covid, I myself grind coffee manually and prepare my coffee instead of preparing it at the roastery. This allows me to have that point of view. I demand more from our coffees because, this way, I don't have professional tools. Competition among roasters is increasing, and this requires you to always maintain precision.
Coffee shops have diversified in nature, and now we have access to good coffee at any meal or time of day, which is incredible. All this thanks to consumers' interest in quality coffee.
From your experience, what do you think will be the dominant trend in the coming years?
J: I believe we are at a point where the coffee world has "gone too far," and that's logical. Many have gone crazy with fermentations in recent years to reinvent coffee (something we have shied away from since the beginning, asserting our idea of respecting varieties and terroir).
By this, I mean the loss of essence in directing a spontaneous fermentation when external agents that alter the flavor are incorporated, when there are traditions that already work. Take the example of Colombia or Kenya for traditional washed coffee, where with a couple of adjustments, voilà! You have a super juicy coffee where the presence of fruit is predominant. Or Ethiopia with its naturals of all kinds, from solid and super balanced coffees to delicate and floral ones. I think if the process dominates a cup, what does it matter where it is produced? And here the loss is terribly great. Anyone could do what we do since we would lose the richness and diversity that coffee has.
What do you expect for the future of your brand and the industry?
J: Our path has always been quite organic. We like to pay attention to details to be able to be integral. We will continue to build relationships with producers, help them produce better coffee, pay them better than the market to ratify their efforts, and strive our best so that our roast expresses what each coffee holds within.
Our own coffee shop, Right Side Coffee Bar, has been a great milestone to celebrate along the way, as it connects us with the final consumer and teaches us how complex it is to achieve a delicious cup.
By controlling all steps of the chain, learning is guaranteed. Always with the goal of being better than ourselves yesterday.