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- Play a key role in creating coffee products, through selection, roasting and blending
- Opportunities to travel around the world, meeting coffee growers
- Work for a large company, as part of a speciality coffee company, or set up your own business
If you love coffee, have an excellent sense of taste and good technical skills this could be the role for you.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Develop specialist skills and knowledge about coffee to enable them to select types of coffee from around the world
- Roast the coffee using different machines and techniques to create blends or 'single-origin' coffees
- Buying the coffee 'cherries'
- Import them
- Manage the roasting process
- Maintain and troubleshoot problems with roasting equipment
- Manage batches and packaging
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You could work for a large commercial coffee company or one of the increasing number of smaller speciality coffee producers.
You may be involved in travelling to meet coffee growers in remote parts of the world to select coffees.
You'll need
Some coffee roasters are self-taught, but there are some courses available that you can take. Another option is to start out as an apprentice coffee roaster.
You'll need excellent sensory perception - taste and smell are important - along with good practical and technical skills.
CAREER PROSPECTS
The speciality coffee industry is growing rapidly, with increasing job opportunities. With more experience, you could become a Head Roaster, or even Master Roaster.
You could also move into production management, coffee cupping, coffee buying, or marketing.