Interviews October 2020 | I KNOW JERRY FROM TORONTO

Who was in the October 2020 box?

More illustrations in Ghent (BE), surprise an old friend in Antwerp (BE), meet up my big example in Hemsedal (NO) to come back through Transylvania (RO).

Ghent - Belgium

Emmeline Geiregat

Emmeline Geiregat is a graphic designer, art director and illustrator.
She creates consistent visual solutions for clients across multiple disciplines.
Always in close conference with her clients while being passionate about finding the best for them, Emmeline works as a creative partner in all aspects of graphic design.
This goes from bringing brands to life not only digitally but also through all printed matter.
This also includes motion design, digital implementations and webdesign.

Let me start off by asking how did you end up being an artist?

As a little kid, I copied the illustrations of my favorite children’s books.
I really loved all things illustrated, especially the quirky ones.
When I was younger I always said that I wanted to become a cartoonist, little I knew that I would end up studying illustration haha!

Could you tell us something about your (art) style?

Dynamic lines, organic shapes and striking colors.

How did you end up in Ghent?

I grew up in Heusden, a small town next to Ghent.
I always loved Ghent, so when I started studying here, I moved here as well.
I’m excited to go live in a bigger city for a while in the near future…
We’ll have to see what COVID-19 brings.

What kind of art attracts you personally?

Graphic art and illustration, of course!

What’s your favorite artist?

My all-time favorite is David Hockney.
In particular his paintings.
The colors, his stylization and the amount of work he has made at such a high level! Just wow.

Any other interest aside from art?

Hoarding (design) items.

Do you have any interesting upcoming projects?

Next year I have my first solo exhibition.
I will keep you guys posted!

What place (gallery, musea,..) do we need to visit in Ghent?

Rufus gallery, 019, Designmuseum Gent and Croxhapox,
These are the ones that come to mind right now.

What would like to do as a project in the future?

I would love to do a project with a group of illustrators.

What do you think about this Jerry man?

His appearance doesn’t tell a thing about his coffee.

"Santé! (Do you actually say ‘cheers’ with coffee!?)"

Antwerp - Belgium

Andy Roasters

Freshly founded in Antwerp, Belgium
Andy opened recently their roastery in the Blikfabrik in
Hoboken.

Who is the team behind Andy?

Hey guys, we have 3 proud owners.
Kjell Maes, owner of Maona.
Jacob Priggen and Dave Haesen, owners of Butchers Coffee.
And 1 very talented roaster: Emiel Rymenans.

What are your goals for the future?

We mostly want to focus on quality therefore we don't want to grow too fast.
Our goal is to slowly get closer to the source.
Origin here we come!

Blikfabrik, what is it?

Most of all it's a lot of things.
It's an amazing hub full of interesting people.
Come and check it out for yourself and fall in love, just like us.

What are your hobbies/passions aside from work?

Andy loves life.
He truly sees art in everyday things.

Tell us something about the awesome place they built for Andy.

The guys at Hammahaki, built us an amazing unit.
We gave them an art-deco, brutalist mood board and carte blanche.
The result is a piece of art!

When in Antwerp, what do we need to see?

Being an architectural enthusiast the new district house is a must see.
Check out the parc in the exposition area to get a glimpse of Antwerps art deco history.

"Art is everywhere..."

Hemsedal - Norway

Scandinavian Alps Coffee Roasters

Toronto is where he grew up.
It is funny.
He never liked coffee till he moved away to Canada.
He was a tea drinker since his folks were ex-patsoksu coffee back then sucked.
It tasted like cigarettes in water with a dash of charcoal.
He worked in New Zealand, Australia, and Japan as a ski instructor and fell in love with flat whites and eventually filter coffee.
He didn't fall in love with specialty coffee until he started the roasting company in Hemsdale.

Hemsedal is far from being a city.
More like a very small Mountain town made up of skiers, riders, farmers, climbers, hikers, cross-country skiers and outdoor lovers.

His wife is from Sweden.
They worked in Sweden and then in Canada and the 2008 recession hit,
they had friends that had worked in Norway and they thought it would be a good place to go during recession times.
Plus it is close to Sweden and is like a mini Canada just with more expensive beer prices.

He loves skiing and outdoor sports so perhaps Red Bull inspired him to be the "Red Bull of coffee" with a badass ambassador family.
Everything they try has that theme if it doesn't feel badass then they simply don't do it.
Similar to a kind of mode in life.
Hence the name of their badass bear espresso.

"We are humbled and honored to be part of the first subscription of who is Jerry from Toronto.
We really hope you enjoy our Nordic-style roasted coffee during these new normal times.
Come visit us in the near future to ski, ride or hike and enjoy some fresh roast coffee in the Scandinavian Alps:'
Stay badass,
Adrian

"Ps- We don't know Jerry, but I guess he knows good coffee. "

Transylvania - Romania

Meron

We present you Meron.
Located in Transylvania, Romania.
Meron coffee has the task of even keeping Lord Dracula awake during the sleepless days but they also sell their beans to us mortal people.

Why the name Meron?

Throughout our coffee, we want to give you the boost for a great and amazing day: alluring flavors, delightful company and a quick reminder that life is about NOW, about this MOMENT.
Our name has Greek roots and it means „day”.
It’s the reason why we want to shape your day, and we will provide you the absolute equilibrium & taste for you to build on.
The whole idea behind our business is to capture the present moment and the one thing that brings joy to the people.

Cool logo!
Is there something behind it?

Our logo is simple, minimalistic, and explains what we are for all coffee lovers: the home of coffee.
A place for togetherness & community, where people can express themselves and share their passion for coffee. More than our logo, I would tell you that our yellow color speaks better about the brand.
You can find it in the hand of the people that buy a coffee to go, in the sneakers that our baristas wear, in the design of our locations, or in the socks that our people from the Headquarters wear.
It's the distinctive sign that speaks for our brand.

Your team besides Dracula himself…

There's more to Transylvania than Dracula.
Transylvania is also known as the land behind the forest.
And it's true, it has a certain picturesque vibe, with infinite hills, and welcoming and hardworking people.
It's one of the most developed areas of Romania and it has beautiful countryside, smart cities, flavorful cuisine, and stunning architecture.

How did you start roasting?

Somehow, it was a natural step that came with business development.
But more than that, roasting in our lab gives us the freedom to choose what kind of beans and origins we want from all over the world.
For every origin that arrives in our roastery, we develop a specific roasting profile. In this way, we create an opportunity for every coffee lover to grab a bag of unique coffee and an experience for other coffee shops.
Our belief is that there is no specific recipe for roasting coffee.
Our knowledge taught us why.
Our experience taught us how.
Our dedication teaches us daily that passion for good coffee is what truly brings people together.
With a team of awarded trainers and a national barista champion as a head roaster(Delia Avram), we are constantly testing and sourcing coffees from all around the world.
In our Roastery, you can find the best beans in the world, experimentally processed coffees, competition coffees, or those that stand out with complex and unusual tasting notes, which we are sharing with you right from our home, Transylvania.

Something original about your town?

Cluj-Napoca is a vibrant city because of all its students, tourists, restaurants, festivals, tech, history, and culture.
And ofc, for its specialty coffee spots.
If you take a walk on foot you will see that the specialty coffee stage is blooming.
You will find at least 10 coffee shops where you can enjoy a good cup of coffee and a nice brunch.

"Since vampires don’t exist apparently…
… but there would be plenty of good coffee to keep them awake. 😊"

we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists! we're the artists!