Ask the Roaster - Alex and Suzy from Carringtons Coffee

How was the Roastery founded, what was the inspiration?

We’d just returned from a trip to Colombia, in early 2019, visiting a friend of a friend’s coffee farm. There and then we decided to go full send and buy all the roastery gear we needed to start roasting and selling commercially. We’d been planning to start a coffee roastery for some time, having first been inspired by our good friend Gabi, a coffee professional whose passion for specialty coffee is infectious, and later, the family we visited in Colombia who were the catalyst for us starting out after we committed to importing their coffee!

What's your favourite part about working at the Roastery?

There’s no better place to clear your head... and then again get a multi-sensory overload of fresh coffee when roasting, grinding and brewing. We love curating seasonal coffees and getting a really great roast profile down but the roastery itself has become a great space for our mental health - our best and most creative “shower thoughts” come to mind while roasting and packing coffee.

What's your proudest accomplishment?

Importing coffee directly from Colombia was a huge achievement for both us and Finca Villa Natalia, Garzon. It took us two years to make it happen as neither party had exported or imported before but in that time we were able to invest in the farm (they were able to buy enough fertiliser and a second drying bed) and they produced some spectacular microlots for us. The best part was that they received a 400% increase in revenue thanks to our joint venture.

What three words best describe your Roastery?

Uplifting - Seasonal - Omniroast

What’s your favourite place to enjoy a coffee, and what coffee would that be?

Dawn. Aeropress. In a Miir mug (thermal sippy cup).

Finally, what Dog & Hat combination would you choose?

Black Lab in a bucket hat.