What is your position in the coffee industry?
barista, manager, service tech/repair
Where are you located? ( City and Country )
Oakland, California, USA
How many years have you been in the industry?
5 (+several tinkering at home)
If you are a barista or shop, are you interested in a barista exchange with another coffee shop/barista?
maybe
Tell us more about your coffee shop or barista skills.
I am constantly looking to increase my knowledge of coffee and improve on and learn new techniques to espresso preparation. I am a practiced in the area of quality drink production, customer service, and barista training/management. I am looking for a more rounded understanding of the bean; through roasting, cupping/taste development, origin knowledge, and other essential areas.
The amount of time I spend thinking about coffee sometimes has me questioning obsessive behaviors however I suspect this is a safe place to speak of my addiction. I am glad to be in the presence of such knowledgeable people.
What cities or countries are you interested in traveling to?
Seattle, WA, Oregon, New York City, NY, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Spain, Thailand...Oh, and of course all coffee producing regions!
About Me:
I've been interested and involved in the coffee industry for about eight years. It all started at the age of 14 with a $60 Krups steam boiler machine. Whilst trying to figure out how to get consistent results and and quality drinks out of it, I purchased many books and got to reading. Many of the things I read of course didn't apply to such a basic machine but they later would to my unplanned career as a Barista.
Up until a few years ago I was quite certain that I was going to be an Invertebrate Zoologist, however things changed as I started working part-time as a Barista to help pay for school. I soon found myself skipping class to fill shifts or to just hang out at the cafe-it was then I decided to make the switch. It felt strange and more than foolish throwing away my three plus years of Bio related schooling for what many consider to be "just a service job" but I haven't regretted it once, and besides I never could pass Chemistry or Trigonometry anyway.
While I doubt I'd even consider drinking any of the lattes now that I produced with that machine years ago, that little machine was the start of my passion for all things coffee and the reason I am where I am today.
Horray for coffee!
About My Company:
Present:
Barista and Apprentice Tech for Blue Bottle Coffee Company in San Francisco, CA (bluebottlecoffee.net).
Past:
Awaken Café of Oakland, California (awakencafe.com) March-May of 2009
Heritage Coffee Company of Juneau, Alaska (heritagecoffee.com) 2006-2009
What is your favorite thing about the coffee industry?
The diversity of careers available. One could change their job frequently in the coffee industry and not run out of new things to do or learn.
