Barista Magazine

Apr-May 2012

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Age 36 Born in Seattle, Washington CURRENT CITY: Seattle, Washington CURRENT POSITION: Customer Service & Sales, La Marzocco USA My job is to create an environment within La Marzocco's newly developed Brew Lab & Showroom that invites education, conversation and community around the cup. I also assist the sales representatives coast to coast in supporting customers' needs however big or small. Coffee CV: Barista, Starbucks (Seattle, 1 year); Barista, Wells St. Espresso (Renton, Wash., 1 year); Owner/barista, Java & More (Seattle, 3 years); Barista/trainer, Caffe D'arte (Seattle, 6 years); Trainer, Visions Espresso Service (Seattle, 1 year); Founder, Market Coffee Project (Seattle, ongoing); Trainer, Espresso Parts (Olympia, Wash., 1 year); Barista, Olympia Coffee Roasters (Olympia, Wash., 6 months); Barista Guild of America Executive Council Member (2 years) What's a particularly special coffee memory you can share? I was visiting Visions Espresso Service to pick up some supplies for a new customer. This would probably mark one of my earliest "coffee is the seed of a fruit" experiences. Celeste Clark, formerly of Hines Public Market, would make introductions behind the front desk. Her bright blue eyes and inviting smile stopped me in my tracks. She was pouring a French press of an Ethiopian Yirgacheffe that perfumed the front room. Without asking, she placed a cup in my hand, and wildly fruity—think Trix cereal— aromas filled my nose. While she poured, she looked up to tell me this cup was full of distinct blueberry jamminess. I took a sip and literally had to turn away... I know it sounds super cheesy but my eyes filled with tears, and I just could not believe there could be coffee in the world that was so remarkable. It was an unbelievable moment of vulnerability. I was facing my enthusiasm with my lack of experience, like I was going fast and hard to a red light, brakes screeching to a halt. While service was something I felt I was getting the hang of at this point in my coffee career, coffee at this very moment was something I knew very little about. This was the right time in life to completely revisit what I knew, and move in the direction of total rebirth. What's going on in the Pacific Northwest coffee scene that's not going on elsewhere? Can I really speak for all of the Northwest on this one? We are rich in the kind of history you can't make up. The stories and tall tales are just that good. I can say from my experience with my past two employers and my current job that the Northwest is relationship based. Value is placed on both getting to know the customer and being a topic expert. This makes you more dependable to the end user, which makes me personally more in touch with their expectations and specific needs. I feel like the Northwest also has a lot of loyalties in the business of coffee. This can also attribute to a stubbornness towards change. Patience is key here and change is slow. If you're in the business of being dependable and personable, this is a great niche. Have you ever ordered an accessory like tampers, a pitcher, screens, steam tip or modified anything? Chances are you did that with Espresso Supply, Espresso Parts or Visions Espresso, all based here in the Northwest. We've got a slow and steady coffee movement going on. Maybe it's not always full of trends but there have definitely been a lot of "coffee starts" here in the Northwest. The next big movement which is really a no brainer is the direction coffee is heading in local restaurants like Canlis in Seattle. This restaurant intrigues me as a third generation family owned business that was recently nominated by the James Beard Foundation for Best Restaurant, Best Wine List and Northwest Best Chef. Recent changes to their coffee program set a new bar of expectation and hopefully will help coerce other fine establishments to follow suit. "We are rich in the kind of history you can't make up. The stories and tall tales are just that good.'' What advice do you have for newcomers to this industry? Get used to learning. You have not had every experience you will ever have. You have not met every character you will ever meet. Just to make things even more diverse coffee promises to consistently change as fast as the weather patterns year to year. Be open to reinvention of every skill you have, fine tuning even what you think you know. Become a better listener. Serve from your heart and even the little you have will be well received. Why do you feel barista competitions are important platforms for showcasing specialty coffee? This is a topic I could speak about for an entire day. You can meet your next mentor and learn an angle in explanation that you never would have learned had you not competed. My view on competition has changed a lot since watching Phuong Tran (winner of the 2005 United States Barista Championship, and owner of Lava Java in Ridgefield, Wash.,) for the very first time and competing myself. The benefits are endless, and while not every point is applicable to the café setting, there are usually value adds that streamline a procedure and create better consumer interaction, hidden deep within the competition lesson. Competing is a major investment of time which is always a shocker as we gear up for another season. Competition is for the serious barista. No, not because we are all serious people but absolutely because we are open to honest input. It promises to expose and magnify your areas of weakness while highlighting your strengths to a degree. www.baristamagazine.com 59

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