Snacka Kaffe - med Pierre Tymms
Vi på Espressospecialisten är stolta över att kunna presentera denna bloggserie "Snacka Kaffe."
Denna bloggserie är skapad för att lyfta fram kunskap och erfarenheter från människor inom vår bransch, så att vi alla kan lära och växa av varandras kunskap.
Eftersom vi har en blandad kultur av kaffeproffs i Sverige finns vissa blogginlägg på engelska för att reflektera den intervjuades modersmål.
Den australiensiska kaffegurun Pierre har haft en så kallad berg-och dalbanekarriär inom kaffebranschen. Han hoppade av universitetet vid 21 års ålder för att starta en karriär inom kaffe. Han arbetade sedan på kaféer runt om i Europa innan han slutligen bosatte sig i Stockholm 2017. Innan han kom till Espressospecialisten drev Pierre sitt eget företag i Stockholm där han gjorde kaffeevenemang. Han är också grundaren av Stockholm Coffee Festival.
Tell us about yourself, what are you up to these days?
Today I’m the Head of Operations at Espressospecialisten. We supply premium coffee equipment to the HoReCa and Office industries in Sweden.
How did you originally get into coffee?
I remember drinking my first sip of coffee when I was like 12 or 13, and I thought it tasted so bad. Not such a good start. Then in high school I started drinking coffee to help me stay up late to study, I even bought myself a cheap pod espresso machine with a steam wand which I thought was pretty cool. Then at the start of University I got a weekend job as a barista, and I guess my interest just grew from there!
What is something about the coffee industry that people get wrong/don’t understand?
Even though a huge number of people drink coffee, the coffee industry itself (especially the speciality coffee industry) is actually quite small. Everyone knows everyone, and you tend to see the same people at all the industry events, which I think is quite cool! It’s like a big family.
What are your 3 tips for developing a career in the coffee industry?
- Find mentors - find people who are doing what you want to be doing and connect. Take a coffee, meet them at their workplace, all of that.
- Grow your network - go to industry events, visit roasters and cafes, and just generally get to know people. The more involved you are in the industry the more opportunities you will hear about
- Take risks - and do your part to grow the industry. As you get further into your coffee career you’ll find yourself sitting on ideas and knowledge that others could find useful. So do your part to pass on the knowledge, host cuppings, host events, and even mentor baristas who are just starting out.
Finally, what is a happy coffee memory?
The Stockholm Coffee Festival that we hosted in 2019 was pretty wild. We had over 1000 attendees that day, and it just proved to me that the coffee scene in Sweden is strong, and people are really seeking out these kinds of events.
You can find Pierre on Instagram: @baristapierre