Interviews March 2023 | I KNOW JERRY FROM TORONTO

Who was in the March 2023 box?

We are looking for Poesjes in Salvador Bahia (BR). One Drop of this coffee on my taste buds convinced me in Rosersberg (SE). Angels are crying on our tongues in Zurich (CH). Again we seek female coffee advice in Maramures (RO).

Antwerp/Salvador Bahia - Belgium/Brazil

Altijd Poesjes

March is International Women's Month, the perfect excuse for us to collaborate with this artiste.As you know, we look for excuses to do something and not the other way around.Actually, in Belgium, it is not Women's Day until November. This is because for the first edition (in 1972) they wanted the famous French writer Simone de Beauvoir on the program and she only had a slot free in her diary on 11 November 🙂.That aside, we are enormously honored to work with this Brazilian artist living in Belgium!

Can you briefly tell us about yourself?

I came to Belgium because I love an adventure and of course to live together with my Dutchy wife.Although I'm a very proud Brazilian I decided to live in Belgium to be with my wife and have a fresh start in Antwerpen. Now we start to feel at home more and more with our cat and chameleon and a lovely huisje full of plants and pussy art.

What motivates you to create?

I started making my work as a process to understand myself better, my identity, my sexuality and my gender. Then I slowly started to share that with friends and I noticed that they could recognize themself or start a conversation about taboo topics that usually are not explored as vulva issues. And now it keeps me motivated as my work is often used as a conversation starter about sexuality, gender woman rights, and lesbian issues. I feel my work is needed as long people are shocked seeing my illustrations.I like to show a bit of myself in my work and the struggles I've been through, exploring womanhood and gender roles, my own body and sexuality.Experiencing the pain and the joy of being a lesbian and a foreign artist.

Does art help you in other areas of your life?

It helps to process my feelings and it helps (ed) to make connections and friends with people who admire my work.It is nice to see it as a bridge to a different world where people feel comfortable talking and being themselves.

Jerry has never been to Brazil, is there any art and coffee in your hometown?

Nooo, here we live in the jungle no coffee no art, it is for Europeans haha ... I'm just joking.. of course, there is coffee and art in my hometown, actually, I dare to say it is the most cultural and diverse city of Brazil. We don't have that many coffee places like here or the fancy specialty coffees and latte art, slowly there is a trend of coffee places but I don't think it is really our culture, we just like a nice and warm filter coffee, very simple, there are people selling filter coffee on the streets they sell in their colorful little carts most of the time with music installation. I can't say much about Brazil but I can say in a way Art is everywhere in my home town.. It is a tough city but full of diversity I'm from Salvador Bahia the most famous Brazillan singers were born in the state of Bahia, we have a strong African and indigenous influence would be impossible to don't be artistic.Here I think that's the biggest form of music, we have several genres and styles with influences of African beats and African religions, but of course, we have more, it is a really creative and musical city also very rich in visual art, activist art is the main topic I would say, specifically after the dark times with the former government but now the city is blooming again with its diversity and colors.

Do you have a connection with coffee?

In brazil coffee export is in our top 10 most exported products.We drink a lot of filter coffee even though it is very hot.But my wife is also a barista I think that is my strongest connection to coffee as she drags me into the world of specialty coffee, I learn a lot every day with her.

Last but not least, what should change in the world in terms of women's rights?

A lot! Let's start with sexual and reproductive rights, equal access to education and employment, equal pay, equality within marriage, control over your own body, the right against workplace harassment, right against domestic violence.I think we haven't reached yet where we would like to be as women right now.The world is basically made by men for men and sometimes it feels like we don't have a place in this world, but we have a lot to say and they must listen to us and be aside us and make changes together with us, all people togetherI can go on with this list of what we should change but it is better to ask what should we not have to change.

"What I could say to every woman or someone who doesn't feel recognized in this society we live in is that we all deserve happiness and we can only be happy for ourselves, no one else, it is like I know that I am the only one who gonna do it for myself, life is unique and I can not let people say what I should do in my life, freedom is the power to be yourself anywhere whenever you want, freedom is beautiful but you have to fight for it, for yourself. You are who you are nobody can change it. Be proud of your process, be proud of yourself. "

Rosersberg - Sweden

Drop

One Drop of this coffee on my taste buds convinced me to pop them in the women's edition of March.What Jerry finds awesome about people with ambitions.Especially in women.As an example what Tove Alexandersson - multi-sport champion once said:"What do you do when you have fully mastered two sports? Why, find two more of course!"

Tell us something about the people you work with.

Our team is very small, it’s just Roland and Mari, husband and wife.We both love a great clean cup of filter coffee.We make sure the coffee tastes good but also looks good, and arrives to customers as fresh as possible.Our daily life is about finding a balance between family and business.

How did Drop get started?

Drop Coffee was founded in Stockholm, Sweden in 2009 as a coffee bar focusing on serving tasty coffee. We started roasting our own coffee in the back of the shop in 2010, on a one-kilo roaster, and from there, started roasting for wholesale customers in 2012, after moving into a new building on our 25kg Diedrich roaster!

How did you learn about coffee roasting?

I started my job here at the roastery as a warehouse and packing assistant, knowing very little about the specialty coffee industry.It was just three months into my role that I had the chance to step up and learn roasting from one of the best in the business, Joanna Alm, before she took her maternity leave, due later that year.I consider this to have been a lucky moment in time for myself, and a very rare opportunity.

Outside of coffee, what are your hobbies?

In true Swedish style, I most certainly enjoy the outdoors here and the nature Sweden has to offer.Summertime brings camping season for me, while winter provides the occasion to ski/snowboard fairly locally, as well am currently learning some Nordic skating when the lakes are frozen over.Otherwise, hiking is a year-round hobby of mine.Nothing beats coffee outdoors!

Your collective top three tips to start your day off right?

A tough question to ask a non-morning person…I should say, to eat a decent breakfast, prepare well for your day, even if this is just checking your commute route, and have a decent cup of coffee… something comfortable, clean and juicy! … that being said, I only usually achieve one of these three on a daily basis.

There are a huge number of women in the coffee scene who Jerry admires!Which women do you look up to?

Firstly; Eleane Mierisch, who is one of the leading lights in coffee processing in Nicaragua and Honduras.Eleane comes from a coffee-producing family, but she had studied to be a nurse.She had worked in the family business for decades, only recently owning her own farm!Another name I want to mention here is Daniella Rodriguez, a big name in coffee production in Bolivia.I think Daniella works in a very traditional and male-dominated sector with lots of the producers delivering to their mill.Her father is a larger-than-life character who would be easy to be overshadowed, but she brings a fresh perspective to everything they do and commands the respect of everyone working and delivering to their mill and who works on the farm.And of course, I could not avoid mentioning the boss lady herself; Joanna Alm.Who took her first trip to a coffee farm, following her intrigue and instinct to learn more, leading her to create this business from just a small cafe in the city to what we have become today, as well as building up solid, omni roasting profiles, and showing her wide range of taste profiles through the colors we show proudly on each of our coffees!

As mentioned in the intro,Apart from roasting coffee, what else do you excel at?

I like to think, being kind and compassionate, as well as practicing a sustainable way of living, wherever and whenever possible.

Last but not least,What would you like to see happen in the coffee industry over the next ten years for women?

More of us.As simple as that :)

"Introduce specialty coffee to one person who doesn't yet know its worth, and let's turn things around!"

Zurich - Switserland

Mame

March is International Women's Month, the perfect excuse for us to only pick female roasters.And godamm! This coffee is exactly like if an angel is crying on your tongue!What a work of art!Zurich is one of the most expensive cities in the world but they are known for their public Fontaine with free super pure water. One of these is Hedwig Fountain - it was built in 1912 in honor of the women who defended the city against a German siege in 1292.

When and how did you start liking coffee?

My very first coffee was back in 2006 and it was flat white in London. I had no idea about anything in coffee, but it was a drink all of my friends then had as we met up for chats. So it was just my chat buddy.

What motivates you to roast these wonderful coffees every day?

We at MAME (I personally do everything else but don’t roast) love to find ‘right’ coffees for ‘right’ people. Everyone has his favorite coffee and we are happy to source, select, roast, guide, brew and allocate such coffees to each of them we feel really humbled when they love what we also love, or even when we meet beyond what they imagined!

What does a cup of coffee mean to you?

Full of emotions from seeds to cup.

Jerry had a coffee from Finca Hartmann once before.This coffee is a side project of his, can you tell us more about it?

Ratibor Hartmann is one of the coffee legends in Panama, and he keeps producing quality coffee at Finca Hartmann every year. To keep learning and stay open-minded, he runs Mi Finquita (my small farm) to operate more experimental lots over there. Here he goes pretty out of the box, he decides which varieties he grows or when to stop the processing based on what he has been practicing at Finca Hartmann and brings up new coffees there. It’s our pleasure to work with Ratobor.

How good is the water from your public fountains?Do they suffice to make coffee?

As Switzerland is full of water resources and all of them are amazing, it is absolutely possible! But it varies a lot depending on where you are (because sources can also vary - from glaciers, rain, melted snow, combi of them, etc.) If you wish for a consistent brew, we would recommend filtered water from the tap :)

Last but not least, what do you think we can still change in the coffee scene to make this a better place for everyone?

Knowing what you like in coffee is the first step to start the coffee journey, and mostly there is no way back. So we try to keep the starting point accessible, by just guiding them instead of teaching; once discovered, people often can’t go back to bad coffee - tongues don’t lie!When more people figure out what they enjoy in coffee, the better coffees will be in demand in the world.

"Thanks for taking MAME in your collection, happy brewing Jerry!"

Maramures - Romania

ARUSHA

March is International Women's Month, the perfect excuse for us to only pick female roasters.And what a difficult task that was.There are so many good female coffee roasters.So we sought advice from a female coffee roaster who we admire immensely for her skills.Elena Ghica is from Romania, they called her "the alpinist princess" She climbed the Moench peak (4105m). She marked her achievement by placing the Romanian flag on the summit, becoming the first Romanian climber and one of the first female climbers in the world.

When did you learn about specialty coffee?

It was the autumn of 2014, one day in November I went out with a friend, and he proposed to visit the best coffee place in Bucharest. I said okay. I was not a coffee drinker, I survived University with black tea and green tea. I tasted coffee, all the people around were drinking coffee, but I found it too bitter and not delightful for my taste.Though, I do think that when you visit a place that is famous for something, you have to try that something. So I order a coffee with milk. I received a red cup, with a beautiful heart, and I just tasted it. It was sweet and pleasant and I was shocked. something that I knew that was too bitter turned out to be so pleasant. I wanted to know why. And my exact thought was that only working there I would be able to find the secrets behind it.

What brought you into the coffee industry?

I was fascinated by the product. I grew up knowing that coffee is bitter and disgusting and that people drink it for energy. The moment I tasted my first specialty coffee cup of coffee I was shocked to find it otherwise. I entered the industry because of the product, I remained in it because of the people around it 🙂

We have had coffee you roasted in the past.When you were a roaster at Meron.What was it like starting your own roastery?

Doing coffee at Meron, was my dream job. I was in charge of everything related to coffee without having to worry about company problems like papers, taxes and salaries. Working there was the place that got me out of my comfort zone, and pushed me forward to improve, develop and understand what coffee is better, so I can help other people master it. If you had asked me a few years ago, I was not planning to leave. But there was a moment I understood that the city I was living in was not what my soul needed. I wanted to go home. To be close to my family. And that was the moment I decided to move forward.For two-three days I didn't know what I was going to do for a living once I went back home. But after less than one week I was sure that coffee was my way of living. So I decided pretty fast that I would stick to what I know to do best: coffee. the start was a coffee shop in the heart of my hometown - Baia Mare. I continued my collaboration with Meron Coffee till a few months later when I managed to materialize my ideas and get Arusha Roastery to happen. It was challenging, but little by little, one piece at a time, focusing on coffee itself Arusha started to be more clear: as a brand, as an identity, as a certain type of selecting the coffees and roasting them. With the right people you, and your family to help life seems easier at the end of the day.

Coffee and art go very well together, according to Jerry.Are there any unexpected combinations of things that go well with coffee?

That is true that coffee goes well with many things, but as crazy as it might sound, I have mine plain black 90% of the time. If I do combine it, it is with milk or tonic.Oh, wait - try this - espresso double shot, gin and tonic - a crazy good combination maybe you have tried it before.

Where did the name Arusha come from?

Arusha reflects our focus. Coffee itself. From the green beans to the drink in each cup. From selecting the best beans, making sure they are fresh, and perfectly roasted so they reflect as much as possible from the terroir they are from, and telling the story of the coffee forward. Arusha is a coffee variety itself, a name that resonated with me before I knew that I would have a coffee roastery. When the roastery plans started to happen Arusha seemed the only name that was appropriate to carry our story forward.

There are a huge number of women in the coffee scene who Jerry admires!Which women do you look up to?

For me, Aga, (Agnieska Rojewska) - was a huge inspiration. When she won first place in the world I was so so happy. what she did, and how she said it, made me feel it. Even if I was watching the finals from miles away. There are many women now in the coffee industry and it is a great honor to be one of them.

Last but not least, What is it like to work in the Romanian coffee scene as a woman?

Now, I find it delightful. In Romania, it is an area where the majority of the professionals in it are men. Through my journey I found mentors ( 3 different men to be more exact) from whom I learned determination, perseverance, to overcome obstacles and to find pleasure in what you do as a business. In 2014 it was more challenging to find a job in the field of coffee as a woman. there were few places that were doing specialty coffee and most of them were looking for men to hire. Things changed a little. I have to confess, after struggling in 2016 to find a job in the industry as a woman, I focused on being as good as I could, to make myself proud and when I was in charge of recruiting I always gave women a chance. Whenever I saw a woman that had potential I tried to find a place for her.

"Coffee makes the world go round and I am extremely happy that I get to do it. Welcome to the industry, and remember #neverdrinkbadcoffee"Xoxo,Delia

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