The launch of Best Cafe Designs has provided many coffee interactions and discussions. This week we met with Dan from the coffee roaster / Alexandria Cafe, who initiated a site tour of the roastery premises.
The coffee roaster was established in 1991 by Dan & JoAnne Fitzsimmons and has won several awards at the Royal Sydney Agriculture Show’s Coffee Tasting Awards, the Royal Hobart Fine Food Show and the Golden Bean roasting competitions.
Dan Fitzsimmons a true pioneer in the speciality coffee industry showed us the assortment of beans in the loft, the process for roasting the beans, and the precise instruments and roasting profile recipes to transform the humble coffee bean into a flavoursome beverage.
Origins in Specialty Coffee:
Dan’s passion for coffee was ignited during his travels to coffee-producing regions around the world. He was captivated not only by the diverse flavors of coffee but also by the stories of the farmers and artisans behind each bean. This deep appreciation led him to dive into the specialty coffee industry, where he honed his craft and eventually established his own roastery.
The Coffee Roaster Setup:
Our tour commenced at the green coffee bean loft. In this area, we viewed Speciality Grade Arabica coffee from several different countries. Among these were Fairtrade Organic coffee, Rainforest Alliance Organic coffee and Swiss water decaf processed organic coffee.
A batch of green coffee of Kenyan and Columbian origin was selected and loaded into the Piccolo Chinook® Fresh Air coffee roaster (developed by Dan), with the roasting recipe profile input for precise roasting. The roaster is designed to require minimum setup and allow visitors to individual cafes to observe the animated roasting process.
The transformation of the green beans into rich, aromatic coffee was a symphony of color, scent, and sound. The beans danced in the roasting drum, turning from verdant green to golden brown. We watched in anticipation as Dan meticulously controlled the time and temperature to bring out the desired flavors.
We waited in the Alexandria cafe as the process unfolded. The roasted coffees were then bagged and custom labeled with the recipient and blend recipe of the beans. Thankyou Coffee Roaster for the tour and the insights into coffee roasting.
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