HOLD THE PAST IN A FIRM HAND, KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE FUTURE AND CELEBRATE THE PRESENT
Hi, my name’s David and I roast your coffee
My journey through coffee has been a winding one full of changes and surprises. Throughout it all I’ve been driven by two things; my appreciation for the uniqueness of others and the search for my own individuality and purpose. I believe that human relationships have the strongest power to impact one’s life and experience. Even if visiting my website and buying coffee through an online store isn’t an in-person relationship, I want you to know that you’re appreciated and I want you to know who’s preparing your coffee. So, let me spend some time introducing myself, tell you how I got into coffee and share why I started this roasting venture.
Staring off into space
In March of 2010 I was in Deajeon, Korea, staring off into space. Literally. I was studying astronomy and space science and that night the stars were shining upon my sleepless eyes. For a while I’d been feeling unsettled at school and knew that I needed to take my life in a completely different direction. My mind had been in space since I was 8 years old and it was time to come back to earth, back to something I could personally experience with all of my senses and not just view from afar. I wanted something that connected me with people, something that came from the earth. I was intrigued by the roles of a sommelier, bartender and barista. At the time, paying premium prices for coffee seemed the most baffling to me. And so, I chose coffee.
I became a barista
I found a job as a barista surprisingly quickly, even though I’d never even had a cup of coffee. I was hired at one of the busiest cafes in town where I learned a baristas’ most important skill – efficient workflow. I learned how to think and act in a fast-paced environment while engaging with customers and connecting with coworkers. The café was a fun and challenging place to work but it didn't fulfill my thirst of becoming a knowledgeable coffee professional. That step came in August of 2010 when I tasted the Aricha14.
The Aricha 14 leaves me speechless
By chance I found a weekly private cupping in a local café tasting micro-lot and auction coffees. The entry price was high and not easy to pay each week. However, the cupping table proved invaluable on the very first day. The famous Ninety Plus Coffee, Aricha Selection 14 was on the cupping table and I still remember how shocked I was by the taste. With my limited experience I couldn’t have imagined that coffee could taste so good. A universe of possibility I once thought was only in the sky opened up to me in that cup. I continued with the cuppings every week and was continuously inspired. It drove me into the deeper aspects of coffee, studying sourcing, roasting, cupping and grading. By October 2011 I had passed the Q-grader exam.
A friend opens the door to roasting
The Aricha 14 wasn’t the only life-altering event on that first cupping day, I also met a unique friend, Hoe-Jin Kim. As we attended the weekly cuppings we also discussed the topics of tasting, brewing, roasting and even the logistics of running a small business. At the time, she had her own roastery-café and I was fortunate enough to learn roasting profiles from her. Those several months were very influential and I gained essential knowledge in a very short period of time. A year later she started a family and decided to leave her cafe. When the new owner didn’t have any experience in the coffee industry, I was recommended to help with the transition and direct the coffee program. This became my first roasting job and the real start of my professional coffee career.
I take a leap of faith and move to Canada
In preparing for the Q-grader exam my biggest obstacles were language and cultural barriers. The specialty industry is primarily run in English and it was increasingly difficult to understand complex source material. I began to feel that Korea was physically, historically and culturally far away from the core of the coffee industry. I needed to be immersed in innovation instead of getting knowledge second-hand. I found a Working Holiday program between Korea and Canada and moved to Vancouver on December 30, 2012. At first, I struggled to find a role in the specialty coffee scene. It wasn’t until I was hired by Phil & Sebastian and moved to Calgary that I entered into the heart of Canada’s specialty coffee scene.
For a while, things got pretty dark
After several years in the specialty coffee industry I became disenchanted. I struggled with the constant turn-over of baristas in a system where people were unique and special but also seemed replaceable. I could no longer see the value in myself and in what I was doing. I doubted my work and the work of all baristas. Were we all replaceable, either by machines or other people? How was my work special? How was I special? I continued on with my job, roasting and preparing for competitions, but these thoughts weighed on me. If my work could be done by others, why did I need to be there? Out of this darkness grew my 2017 barista competition theme.
Baristas are like espressos
In developing my competition speech and discussing my troubles, a colleague gave me some hope. She reminded me that “in many ways baristas are like espressos. Even though they’re all replaceable in the café each one is unique and worthy of appreciation. All we can do is take the time to enjoy and celebrate each one while they last.” These words gave me space and allowed me the time to appreciate the amazing people around me. They’ve lead me to deeper respect for others and a more nuanced view of the various roles in the coffee industry. This quote has stayed with me and whenever I doubt myself, work or ability, I repeat it. I remember that replaceable doesn’t mean unworthy.
WHICH COFFEE WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY TODAY?
Each of you is important and unique to me and I’m so honoured that you’ve come by to explore my newest adventure. After 15 years in the specialty coffee industry I feel confident in putting my experience together as David Kim Coffee. It will be a series of ventures, the first of which is roasting. It might be different from what you’ve seen before but I promise it’ll be an adventure.
