I was just forwarded this article that I felt really needed to be shared with you. When I first read the article I felt it as nothing new. A rehash of reports I’d already heard about or personally read.But then I thought back to recent Dr. appointments that friends and I have had where the Doctors still recommended the reduction of coffee intake. Needless to say, I’m not a Dr. and don’t pretend to be one. But I wonder if Doctors are keeping up to date with recent studies on coffee.  So I thought I’d publish a link to the article you could read it for yourself. Read article here Jeff PTs Coffee Roasting Co.

I just couldn’t resist posting these pictures. Julie McCarter (innocent Bunny) is our newest Customer Service, Sales and Support staff member. I hope you all get a chance to meet her soon; she’s quite a handful! :O) The Dark Angel is Holly Bastin our Head Barista Trainer! If you haven’t met her yet, please feel free to contact her (888-678-5282) and set up some training time with your staff. Both existing customers and new customers are welcome. Last but not least, thats Adam, our Head Roaster, at the bottom. I don’t think he’s in costume, but I’m not sure? :O)RegardsJeff 

WE JUST RECEIVED THIS UPDATE FROM THE SUSTAINABLE HARVEST STAFF IN KIGOMA, TANZANIA. BELOW YOU’LL READ ABOUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS! ——————————————————————————————- 

Hi all! The rainy season has officially begun in Kigoma! Around 11 this morning a thunderstorm came through the area, with piercingly loud thunder and heavy sheets of rain. Where a dry creek-bed had been this morning, around noon a muddy river rushed through town. The start of the rains means that it’s especially crucial that the exporting team moves fast to get the coffee down from Matyazo to Dar es Salaam port, since the roads will become muddy messes, coffee quagmires that can sink any truck intrepid enough to try to get through (Not to be dramatic).

We have a new person training at the SH at Origin Kigoma office - a Kanyovu intern named Benedicto. Benedicto Joseph is 24 years old and was born in Mwanza, which is one of the largest cities in Tanzania, in the northern part of the country near Lake Victoria. When Benedicto was a year old, his parents purchased a plot of land adjacent to his grandparents in Mubanga, and he spent his childhood on the farm there. His father left Mubanga five years later to find work in a city, and since then Benedicto and his two younger sisters have been helping his mother run the coffee farm, which has about 200 trees.  

If you have been working with Kanyovu coffee over the past months, you probably recognize the name “Mubanga.” Its residents are part of the Mubanga Primary Society, which is a sub-cooperative of Kanyovu. Mubanga is far from the main Burundi-Kigoma road, and there is no public transport. The only way people can sell their bananas - the village’s second major cash crop - is to walk up the steep hill about five miles to the main junction, where trucks stop to buy in bulk. Mubanga is a small primary society and a close-knit community. Benedicto has known Dickson, Mubanga’s chairman, his whole life, and it was Dickson who told Benedicto of the internship opportunity that Kanyovu offered.Dickson recommended Benedicto because not only is he part of Mubanga’s coffee community, he is one of the lucky few children who was able to continue his education beyond primary school.

Until age 12, Benedicto attended Mubanga Primary School (the building that catches rain on its roof for the SH-installed rain harvesting system). He then was able to attend a boarding school 12 miles away from Mubanga. That might seem like a close distance, but because there is absolutely no public transport (besides “bike-buses,” Benedicto mentioned with a smile, when you pay someone to carry you on the back of their bicycle), Benedicto had to live at the school. Tanzania uses the British educational system, so after 4 years of O-Levels at Mnanila, Benedicto traveled to Mwanza to complete his A-levels (If you know the Hogwarts educational system, you might have some reference for how it works). Because secondary education is not free, most people do not complete O-levels, and very few make it to A-levels. Benedicto had enough support to complete his secondary education, and specialized in Physics, Chemistry, and Math.  

Mwanza is a center of the cotton industry, and Benedicto’s first job was in a factory that bought cotton from small-holders and exported it to a company in Switzerland. From that experience, Benedicto became interested in business accounting and marketing and thought the Kanyovu position was perfect for him. He had been back in Mubanga for a few months, working as a part-time math teacher at a secondary school when he heard from Dickson.  The coffee industry is familiar to Benedicto since he grew up in it. But this past month in the Sustainable Harvest office, he has seen how much room there is for professional growth - the production side of the supply chain needs engineers, accountants, and “marketers,” not only farmers. Working with Kanyovu, he is able to stay close to his roots, help his community prosper, and also build skills and create a career.  

Best,

Genevieve Edens

Sustainable Harvest at Origin 

NOTE: Sustainable Harvest at Origin does the hard work in Tanzania that makes our Kanyovou Coffee possible.  

It’s that time again. The PT’s Coffee Roasting Co.’s competition training team has started practice…as of last weekend. This year’s competition schedule is a bit crunched as the World Barista Championship will be held with the SCAA Annual Conference this April (in Atlanta, GA). What that means for U.S. competitors is that the SCAA’s United States Barista Championship will be held as a stand-alone event at the beginning of March in Portland, OR. For more information about this year’s SCAA Competition schedule visit this site.As for us, I am a firm believer that discipline and determination are integral to our competition practice schedule. As the last two years have shown, our training program seems to be working, with consistently finishing in second place at the USBC. We are excited, this year, to see how far we can go this time. We already added the WBC modifications to our Aurelia in our training room and spent the early part of the day getting acquainted with the equipment. The Nuova Simonelli Aurelia is a machine that we have been selling for the last few years and became fast friends with. The staff of the company alone has been wonderful to work with. They are incredibly helpful and all levels of the company are very accessible. The machine itself produces awesome espresso shots with incredible color and is very user friendly. I have been very pleased with my overall experience with it. If you have been skeptical about this machine I suggest you give it a fair chance and prepare to be impressed.So what now? It’s time to get our noses to the grind stone. There will be drills, tasting, signature drink troubleshooting, more drills, and so on. As we get further into the season I will give some updates and introduce the 2009 training team. In the mean time, Coach Holly will be cracking the whip and getting these baristas into shape!More updates later,Holly

Thank You, to all of our friends, customers and colleagues that have sent us well wishes. It’s very much appreciated. The good news is, we are just getting started!

I’ve had the morning off from my work in Ecuador and I’m trying to respond to as many emails as possible. Thank you all, just in case I don’t get back to you this morning as it is almost time to go back to work here. I will be home first of the week and hope to speak with many of you then!

I would also like to recognize the previous winners of the award. We are proud and honored to be in their company. All of them good friends who have helped us learn something, somewhere along the way. And once in a while a lesson I wish we didn’t have to learn, but glad we did.

Previous Winners of Roast Magazine - Roaster of the Year

• Counter Culture Coffee
• Stumptown Coffee
• Intelligentsia Coffee
• Zoka Coffee
• And last but not least, our good friends at Klatch Roasting. They won in the Micro Category this year for small roasters

Regards

Jeff

Topeka, KS (October 22, 2008) – PT’s Coffee Roasting Co. has been named Roast Magazine’s “Roaster of the Year” for 2009 in the publication’s November / December 2008 issue released today.
The annual “Roaster of the Year” title is awarded to candidates that serve coffee of superior quality, demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainable practices and their employees, among other criteria.
“We never set out with the intent of winning awards,” said PT’s Coffee co-founder Jeff Taylor, “but it is gratifying to gain recognition for doing business the way that we feel is right; for example, through our Direct Trade program that develops relationships with farmers who are rewarded for exceptional quality, sustainability and commitment to their communities.”

PT’s Coffee edged out North America’s top specialty coffee roasters in the large (Macro) roaster category (companies roasting more than 100,000 pounds of coffee annually) to win the industry accolade.

“I am proud to have PT’s Coffee Roasting Co. represent Roast magazine as our 2009 Roaster of the Year,” said publisher Connie Blumhardt. “PT’s Coffee encompasses all the qualities that we look for in our Roaster of the Year – environmentally and socially responsible, innovative roasting, a strong commitment their employees and of course, serving great coffee. ”

Two categories of the award are presented each year. Winning the small (Micro) roaster category was Coffee Klatch of San Dimas, CA. Owner Mike Perry is a friend and frequent coffee buyer with PT’s Coffee.

About PT’s Coffee Roasting Co.
PT’s Coffee Roasting Co. began in 1993 as a single coffee shop in Topeka, Kansas, later expanding into coffee roasting in 1997. PT’s Coffee now roasts over 100 tons of premium specialty coffee annually for wholesale clients and operates 3 retail locations in Topeka and Overland Park.
Recognized for award-winning small lot coffees, PT’s Coffee is among the leading roasters reviewed by industry resource Coffee Review, receiving the guide’s highest ever rating of 97 points. PT’s Coffee manager Pete Licata ranked 2nd in competition at the 2007 & 2008 U.S. Barista Championships.
PT’s Coffee can be found at fine coffee shops and restaurants nationwide and in select Whole Foods locations. For more information or to try PT’s award-winning coffee, call 888-678-5282 or visit http://www.ptscoffee.com.

About Roast Magazine
Roast magazine is a bi-monthly technical trade magazine dedicated to the success and growth of the specialty coffee industry. Roast addresses the art, science and business of coffee roasters by covering the issues most important to them with high quality editorial focused on the technical aspects of coffee. For more information, visit http://www.roastmagazine.com.

For the past month or so, we have been doing all we can trying to keep a huge secret. But the time is almost here for us to release our news. Tomorrow morning, we will release a huge new development for PT’s Coffee Roasting Co. Watch our Blog and other news services for the announcement.

If you read Jeff’s post on traveling in Africa (read it here), you will understand that doing just about anything in Africa takes a while.  So we are excited to announce that our Ethiopian Beloya Selections One and Eight are finally on their way.  Because we are dealing with Africa, we do not have a definite date for the arrival of the coffee, but we do know that it will be here soon.  We are paying extra to have it air freighted out to us, so it will be as fresh as possible and will arrive as soon as possible.  In anticipation of its arrival, we are selling pre-orders with a $3 discount.

You can pre-order Beloya Selection Eight here.  It has a sweetness that comes through in the aroma is almost like berry-flavored cotton candy. In the cup the berry notes immediately jump out at you. These berry notes are complimented by a subtle and rich spiciness in the finish.

You can pre-order Belya Selection One here.  It is a very complete cup: it has a nice balance between the distinct berry notes and the smooth creaminess. The sweetness neither dominates nor fades.

It’s EARLY Sunday morning, and I’m anxiously awaiting my first cup of Finca Los Planes and eating my Cheerios when I see, yet again, the story on one of our baristas, Pete Licata, published in a newspaper in Montana. I wonder - have we as an industry really made any progress in attaining respect for the Barista since the late 90’s, or do consumers still view the Barista on the level of a convenience store or fast food employee?The Associated Press story on Pete Licata has been published roughly 5,978 times. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but I’m just shocked how much this story has been published in newspapers and on the internet across the country. It’s as if the media is surprised that someone might take their role as a Barista seriously enough to be good at it.This is not the first story thats made me ponder this question. Another of our Baristas relayed a story to me recently. It was that time of year when the Topeka Capital-Journal was doing there annual Best of Topeka vote and a random customer joked with her (our Barista) that she wouldn’t be voting for the “owners” (me) as “Best Boss” would she? The Barista told me she didn’t laugh, “honest,” but did find it an odd question, so she asked, why? The customer responded, “well they (owners) probably don’t even offer you insurance, do they?”Basically implying that the job of a “Barista” really isn’t that great of a job. It’s not uncommon for the public to not understand what the Barista does or how much we, at PTs Coffee Roasting Co., value the position and the staff. Just for the record, of course we offer insurance to our staff. We’ve made that a priority since 1993 when we opened our doors for business. But enough of that, back to the story… Our Barista, kind of surprised at this point said, “of course we have insurance.” By the time she finished explaining her role in our company to the customer, explaining that we not only offer insurance but many other benefits, the customer left with a really surprised look on their face and a new understanding of what a Barista does and has to go through to become a barista at PTs. I think she also mentioned she’d been working for us for 13-years. So what will it take to gain respect for the position of Barista?Before I get into that, I should first spell out the definition of the term “Barista.” In Italian the word/title means: Bartender. In Italy most cafe’s/coffeehouses serve alcohol as well as coffee. So the Barista, in Italy, is required to be both Bartender and coffee maker at the same time. It’s a well respected position in Italy and highly competitive as well. It’s not uncommon for a Barista in Italy to keep the job for a lifetime and make a very livable wage for doing so. But they also spend the first 10 years just learning the job. I can’t say that length of training is the case in the US at this point, but we are headed that direction. At PT’s we spend a great deal of time training baristas. With good reason! Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world, behind oil. And as such, there is so much to learn, it could take a lifetime to attain the title of an “expert” in the industry of coffee. But a Barista doesn’t need to know that much information, do they?A Barista needs to understand just enough to communicate with the consumer. right? Technically, yes. A Baristas most important job is communicating with the consumer/customer. Without good, clear, positive and informative information being shared with the customer we would never sell anything. So we at PT’s view the position with a great deal of respect. Thats why we not only participate, but excel at the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s Barista Competition - The United States Barista Championship. Its a great way to teach our staff about coffee in a fun, competitive way that also gets them involved in the industry. And our staff has had amazing success in the SCAA United States Barista Competition over the years. We haven’t placed 1st yet, but we are certainly still trying.The story on Pete came about because of the success he has had the last couple of years in the USBC and because he placed first, for the third time, in the Midwest Regional Barista Competition. He’s not the first barista on our staff to have success, just the most recent. In our Roasting Facility virtually every employee was a Barista first. We like to promote from with in when ever possible. This story on Pete though has gotten a lot of play. More than other stories on Baristas that I’ve seen. Why, I wondered? Is it because the Barista is coming of age? Is it because Pete was such a great interview (and I’m sure he was )?I’m still wondering, why?Why a Barista who excels and loves his job is such a surprise to the media? Why, it’s surprising enough for a reporter to write a story on someone who is 30-years old would still be working as a Barista? I think these questions are puzzling for a couple of reasons.One, we have a Barista on our staff thats twice that age and has made a career out of it. He started working for us in 1994 and is still going strong. He still does and amazing job and customers come in just to see him every evening. Know one’s done a story on him? Maybe they should?And two, because I’m in the industry and I see many 30 year-old Baristas who are passionate about there jobs. But, I guess, maybe the public hasn’t met these remarkable new generation workers. Workers who are doing what they love, not chasing the dollar.Being a Barista is a challenging career. And not for everyone thats for sure. But if you are looking for something that is inspiring everyday, coffee might be for you too. Just imagine, one coffee tree only produces about 1 pound of coffee per year! I find that inspiring everyday to help me find the perfect coffee and the that tree it came from.The SCAA in the past couple of years has quietly shifted its focus from farmers and green coffee to the Barista. For all the right reasons. The Barista, as I stated earlier in this blog, is the face of the coffee industry. The Barista represents the farmer. The Barista represents the Roaster. The Barista represents the shop owner and all the people that touched the coffee along it’s path from tropical country to your morning cup. Your morning coffee, in it’s journey to your hands, was handled by no less than 20+ people. Each taking great care to make sure it was stored in the proper climate with perfect humidity or sorted with special care to extract any bean that was not perfect. Our motto at PTs Coffee Roasting Co. is “without the love, it’s just coffee!”It was Ezra Anderson that first said that nearly 12 years-ago. He still works for us and does a great job now delivering our coffee to wholesale customers on a weekly schedule. But that saying is just as true today as it was when he said it working as a Barista and making my morning Cappuccino back then.It is with good reason the SCAA focus its training efforts on the Barista. As an industry we need educate our front-line. At PTs Coffee Roasting Co. we’ve been doing that for years and will continue to increase our efforts everyday.Well, with that said, my Finca Los Planes is finished brewing and I’m in need of my morning cup!As I head to the kitchen, I encourage you to remember to tip your Barista. They know their business just as you know yours and might help you find the perfect coffee for the holidays, or tell you about our Direct Trade coffees and the farmers we work with if you ask.

Warm Regards from the guy that did not win “Best Boss” yet…? ;o)

Jeff

PTs Coffee Roasting Co.

I am in love with the specialty coffee industry. Of all the things I could have done with my life, I am so glad that I found coffee early and have had the opportunity to hone my skills as a barista and trainer and am able to spread the good news of great coffee. One of my favorite things about it is the people. Coffee folk are generally all about people. They are so passionate, desperate to make a great product for their customers, and on top of that, are concerned with the lives of those who grew it thousands of miles away. There’s an energy about being a part of the coffee world that is tangible and magnetic. So much care and concern is put into every cup, and consumers are becoming more and more involved in the process. It’s very easy to get caught up in the excitement of the coffee world…and occasionally means that practical daily things like reports and budgets slip from focus. When you are involved in a business as fun as owning a coffee shop, it’s almost natural to concentrate on the front of the house…it’s where all of the people are.

Yesterday afternoon I was in the midst of taking an order from a customer of ours when the conversation took an interesting turn. We started discussing some different ideas as they relate to the financial side of the coffee shop. Having managed one of our locations for about 6 years, there were some ideas and practices that I used to manage the business aspect of our shop that I had just not thought to share till that call. In talking to him, I realized that a lot of these things were relatively simple ideas that can really help in knowing where your money is going and be able to see if that money is being spent effectively. Within the course of our discussion I was inspired to sit down and hash out some basic principles that can help out any coffee shop have a better understanding of their own books. It can be tedious to set up these systems but the pay off is worth the time. Being able to easily recognize exactly what you are spending money on and relate it to what those products are bringing in is invaluable. Having some fundamental principles in place will enable you to be confident that your business is set up to cover its own expenses that alleviate the drain of worrying about the unknown. And most importantly, so that you can be out front, nerding out about coffee and increasing your customer base.

 In light of these realizations I am currently doing some research to try to put together a training class on this subject. I am working to get it together as quickly as I can, without missing any important points. Keep an eye out on our training page for news on this class, as well as others that are already in place. In the mean time, here is a starter concept. Look for a new post next week!

Business Tip No. 1- Categorize your income and expenses so they line up. Categories such as ‘espresso’, ‘tea/chai’, and ‘brewed coffee’ will enable you to recognize specific problem areas before they get too out of control. This should be reviewed on a monthly basis if possible, which is just long enough to be able to establish quantifiable trends, but just short enough that you can nip a problem in the bud. It never hurts to add more detail to the understanding of your books. We’ll cover this in more detail during the class I’m putting together.

Holly