Re: To help or to hinder...
Of course roasters are suspicious, we are for a number of reasons.
In the past 4 years in our small area of 250,000 people it has gone from 3 roasters to 10. Of all these roasters, very few have more knowledge than a 2 week course or less. Now this is a great starting point but it takes years to develope a product worthy of selling to another cafe, but the reality of business forces them to do so from day 1. I get responses from potential customers that they will not use local beans because local roasters have inferior product. Now this is true as a generalisation in our area, but we are an exception. I have fought for 4.5 years to have our coffee viewed as superior to commercial stuff instead of inferior. Now a few cowboys who own roasters are undoing all that work for me. Roasting seems to be the new black and good/successful roasters are concerned, and not just because its competition. In fact, all the above is actually forcing me to move on from this area and go back to the city.
If you think you can learn to roast in a few weeks you are wrong. All you will be able to do is learn to operate a roaster. Learning to roast is a long journey that you must discover for yourself, with the aid of as many people who you respect as possible.
Now, Im not one of these secretive types, and I think you are spot on when you say that the product is often nothing without marketing, but be very careful. I talk very openly with a number of roasters who would be direct competition. None of us would dream of copying each other because we all have our own style. I have also talked very openly about blends and profiles with members of the public, but their approach can often be the deciding factor in whether that conversation goes ahead or not. Remember, alot of us have spent years honing our craft and we did not always have somebody to go ask, it was trial and error and many late nights and throw away batches. This is what makes me the roaster I am today, the process not the product.
Of course roasters are suspicious, we are for a number of reasons.
In the past 4 years in our small area of 250,000 people it has gone from 3 roasters to 10. Of all these roasters, very few have more knowledge than a 2 week course or less. Now this is a great starting point but it takes years to develope a product worthy of selling to another cafe, but the reality of business forces them to do so from day 1. I get responses from potential customers that they will not use local beans because local roasters have inferior product. Now this is true as a generalisation in our area, but we are an exception. I have fought for 4.5 years to have our coffee viewed as superior to commercial stuff instead of inferior. Now a few cowboys who own roasters are undoing all that work for me. Roasting seems to be the new black and good/successful roasters are concerned, and not just because its competition. In fact, all the above is actually forcing me to move on from this area and go back to the city.
If you think you can learn to roast in a few weeks you are wrong. All you will be able to do is learn to operate a roaster. Learning to roast is a long journey that you must discover for yourself, with the aid of as many people who you respect as possible.
Now, Im not one of these secretive types, and I think you are spot on when you say that the product is often nothing without marketing, but be very careful. I talk very openly with a number of roasters who would be direct competition. None of us would dream of copying each other because we all have our own style. I have also talked very openly about blends and profiles with members of the public, but their approach can often be the deciding factor in whether that conversation goes ahead or not. Remember, alot of us have spent years honing our craft and we did not always have somebody to go ask, it was trial and error and many late nights and throw away batches. This is what makes me the roaster I am today, the process not the product.



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