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Hotellerie Gastronomie Zeitung

Rebelling for a more conscious enjoyment of coffee

Author: Riccarda Frei / This article was published in the Hotellerie Gastronomie Zeitung on July 19, 2017

Translated from German.

Bad coffee is a horror for the Roast Rebels. They plead for more celebration of coffee and its consumption. For example by home roasting. 

 ingo-albrecht-r-stmeister

"We rebel against the fact that coffee is only drunk as a quick stimulant. So dark roasted that you have to stretch it with milk and sugar to even like it," Ingo Albrecht answers the question against which the Roast Rebels actually rebel. The entrepreneur founded Roast Rebels in 2016 together with his wife Nina. The couple is committed to ensuring that coffee is drunk consciously and perceived with all the senses. The enjoyment of coffee should be celebrated like that of wine, whisky or tea. "We fight for coffee drinkers to be able to taste the differences in terroir and the character of the respective beans. And with it all the work and love that the farmers put into the cultivation and processing of the beans."

In order to achieve this noble goal, the Roast Rebels begin their work as far ahead of the value chain as possible. At the green coffee. "We know from every bean which farm or cooperative it comes from and how people work there," says Ingo Albrecht. He obtains the green coffee from selected traders who buy according to his quality criteria and usually obtain the coffee directly from the farmers. Although the Roast Rebels roast coffee themselves, their main task is to introduce consumers to the world of roasting and provide them with the necessary utensils. From green coffee and home roaster to know-how.

The Roast Rebels have an online shop but no shop. To this end, they work closely with the "Chuchilade", a family business in the heart of Solothurn, and the "KaffeeWerkStadt" in Zurich. Here they hold courses and coffee events.

Opportunity for the gastronomy

At present, Roast Rebels customers are mainly private individuals who want to immerse themselves in the world of coffee flavours and create their own creations. But Ingo Albrecht would also like to raise awareness of the importance of coffee in the hospitality industry in the future. "We are looking into whether we will soon be offering roasters with a larger capacity. This makes self-roasting more interesting for hosts as well. The companies can stand out from their competitors through their own coffee blend, the freshness and the roasting experience". Moreover, raw coffee is cheaper to buy than roasted coffee and the scent of freshly roasted coffee beans wafting through the restaurant boosts sales even more.

The right bean for beginners and experts

Ingo Albrecht recommends the Brazilian bourbon bean for initial roasting trials: "It is uncomplicated, has a certain sweetness, little acidity, tastes slightly nutty and produces a good, mostly suitable everyday coffee. The Colombian geisha bean tastes like jasmine, pineapple and berries. She has a light body like tea. It must be lightly roasted and sold as a speciality." Albrecht also argues that coffee should be roasted lighter: "The lighter the roast, the better the individual aroma nuances can be tasted.

About the person

In 2016 Ingo Albrecht and his wife Nina founded the company Roast Rebels. The couple share a love of coffee and travel. In total, they travelled to 50 countries, many of them coffee growing regions. Ingo Albrecht is a trained roaster and member of the Speciality Coffee Association and the Roasters Guild of Europe.

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