"Coffee should not be this complicated!" - On shifting priorities & different coffee belief!

Another of my Instagram short post series converted into a full length article, today I like to share more about shifting priorities and different coffee belief.

The DM I received some time in March 2023 and most recently, a conversation I had during a Hari Raya visit gave a strong urge for me to dust off the blog book and write about it. Given that I have not really written anything new for awhile now (but do follow me on my Instagram, as I tried to be more constant with short posting here...), the recent occurrence sure did send whispers to my brain to blog about this!

The direct message on Instagram

The 'conversation' on Hari Raya!

 On shifting priorities- 

 Changing priorities is a natural part of growth and development, and it doesn't necessarily mean that I have lost my passion for what I was previously focused on. 

Passions can evolve and shift over time, and it's possible that my priorities may change as I gain new experiences, knowledge, and perspectives. An example i gave to a colleague recently, I was someone who was once (very) passionate about competing, Latte Art Throw-downs and cafe hopping but  found that my priorities shifted as i became a father to one, two and finally three children. Those spare times in the evenings that was used to participate in such events are now bonding time with my children at home or in the parks.

It's important to remember that having a passion doesn't necessarily mean that it has to be my top priority all the time. Life is complex, and often I have multiple interests and responsibilities that require my attention; juggling a family of 5 and carrying the worries of being a co-owner of a business that salaried 55 full time employees is as much a top priority for me at the present moment of my personal and professional life now! In fact, changing priorities can be a sign of growth and maturity, as I learn to balance my passions with other aspects of my lives. 

While it is possible to maintain a strong sense of passion and commitment to something, I also recognised that it may not always be the top priority or purpose in my life today.  For instance, I posted a lot more about coffee in the past and in my beginning years diving deep into coffees just because there wasn't a lot shared then. Specialty coffee was in it infancy stage in the era of 2007-2012, World Barista Championship and the 'idols' + buzz that the platform co-created was not as profound as it is now. Heck, i was even pioneer in contributing to articles to the likes of Perfect Daily Grind in the earlier days.  Today we have an abundance of coffee sharing platforms, from blog to podcast, from magazines, book and even barista competition streaming videos. We have so much of it that I have to admit my blog and the barista group on Facebook that i founded may not even be of relevant in the context now. Rather than assuming that I am no longer active, why not think of my sharing platform as one of the many other platforms available out there? 

 On 'different coffee belief'- 

 This was a little hard for me to digest and start writing about, I wanted to be as neutral as I can, write rationally and try to put on the shoe of the other person. Unless the person starts to compare on how he extract espresso using a state of the art coffee machine while i am using the kopitiam socks with water using no filtration 😅 or he buys only coffee at 89 points and above while I buy and blend Brazil Santos and sells it at $30/bag, I really do not know how are we having different coffee belief. So how is your specialty coffee different from mine? First and foremost, what is specialty coffee business?

Specialty coffee businesses are typically different from other cafes in several key ways.

Coffee Quality: Specialty coffee businesses focus on serving high-quality coffee, often sourcing beans from specific regions or farms that are known for producing exceptional coffee. These businesses often have trained baristas who can prepare coffee using a variety of methods to bring out the best flavors and aromas in the coffee.

Customer Experience: Specialty coffee businesses often prioritize the customer experience, creating a welcoming atmosphere and offering a range of coffee-related products and services, such as coffee tastings, classes, and brewing equipment for sale. These businesses often have a strong community of coffee enthusiasts who frequent the cafe and share a passion for great coffee.

Sustainability: Specialty coffee businesses often prioritize sustainability and ethical sourcing practices. This may involve working directly with coffee farmers to ensure fair wages and environmentally responsible farming practices, as well as reducing waste and using sustainable materials in the cafe.

Pricing: Specialty coffee businesses may charge a premium for their coffee compared to other cafes, reflecting the higher quality and specialized expertise that goes into sourcing and preparing the coffee.

Overall, specialty coffee businesses differentiate themselves from other cafes by focusing on high-quality coffee, customer experience, sustainability, and a strong sense of community. I think Dutch Colony Coffee Co. ticks all these boxes, we may have more strengths in certain parts of the equation above and admit-tingly may need to work harder on some other elements but that does not make the company i run having a 'different coffee belief' or 'lesser' compared to the rest out there. Show me a perfect specialty coffee company out there, which is all profitable, sustainable and scaleable? There is none but we will all work hard to get there!

If the passing remark of 'different coffee belief' was targetted to me as a specialty coffee professional, whether from a philosophy, mentoring or coaching abilities my argument is that there isn't the 'perfect teacher' in any industry, let alone in coffee. Even a school teacher that graduated with perfect grades will choose a major subject that he or she is strong in to teach, if she do Maths, someone will do English. My coaching ability, style of mentoring and how heavy a coffee content I am willing to share, teach or impart have often tagged to the readiness and the experience of the barista-learners in our company. Most of the time it maybe basic or foundational but trust me many of our barista today lacks that foundations yet am already seeing them roasting after just 6 months of being a barista. This alone is a topic that i can broaden up and put as a separate article, hopefully too in the soonest.

I have made this topic a little more educational, make comparison and cover a little more on how specialty coffee cafe is different from the non-specialty ones but if this doesn't end the debate, I hope the person sees my IG post or the content of blog, slide me a DM and we can have a cup of coffee while discussing "we got different belief...." 🤭 

So that's all folks from this old fart. Until we read and write again....