At a time when coffee drinking in America was at its lowest, a woman emerged who would change the industry forever. Erna Knutsen, born in 1921 in Bodø, Norway, had a childhood characterised by travel and cultural transitions. Erna and her family emigrated to New York City at the age of five.
In this article, we'll tell you more about how Norwegian-born Erna Knutsen changed the coffee industry and made her mark as one of the greatest contributors to coffee history, despite the fact that women weren't welcome in the cupping room at the time.
The start of Erna's coffee journey
In the 1950s, Erna moved to San Francisco, where her career took a new turn when she joined a law firm as a secretary. She later moved to the American Molasses Company, where she became secretary to the vice president of coffee. Although the work interested her, she felt something was missing. It was then that Erna began to realise the potential that existed in the world of coffee.
In 1968, Erna started working for Bert Fulmer, one of the most important figures in the San Francisco coffee scene. It was here, in B.C. Ireland, that her talent for coffee and sales began to grow. Early on, she saw an opportunity to sell smaller batches of coffee to small roasters who had previously been overlooked by the larger coffee importers. But Erna met resistance.
She was denied access to the cupping room and wasn't even allowed to watch the coffee beans being roasted. After all, she was a woman.
Surprised everyone
Then the opportunity arose. A container of Sumatra Mandheling coffee arrived at the harbour and Erna was curious to taste the coffee. She asked the men roasting the coffee to brew a cup for her too.
It was the best coffee she had ever tasted in her life.
She had an idea that this coffee was better suited to smaller coffee roasters than to the large, industrial roasters.
- "I'm going to sell all my coffee in one month," she told Bert Fulmer. And much to everyone's surprise, she did just that.
A few years later, Erna was finally allowed to sit in the cupping room, and in the meantime she had built up a good reputation with the small coffee roasters.
Speciality coffee
In 1974, Erna was interviewed by the Tea & Coffee Trade Journal, and it was during this interview that she famously introduced the term "speciality coffee" to describe the quality coffee she sold.
The term "speciality coffee" was left behind in the coffee industry, and Erna had started a new movement. To drive the speciality coffee movement forward, Erna supported the founding of a new coffee organisation.
Erna's biggest contribution was her willingness to work with small roasters. She realised that these smaller roasters were willing to pay more for high-quality coffee and she was able to meet their needs.
The legacy of Erna Knutsen
Erna's dedication and passion for coffee changed both the US and global coffee industry. She was a pioneer in the speciality coffee industry and a champion of small roasters. Her legacy lives on in the form of Knutsen Coffee LTD, a company she purchased and transformed into her own.
Erna Knutsen was not only a businesswoman, but also an inspiration to those around her. Her infectious joy and indomitable spirit have inspired generations of coffee enthusiasts and entrepreneurs.
Erna Knutsen was a true legend in the coffee world.
She passed away in 2018, aged 96.
Trygve Klingenberg presented the award
During the 12th Specialty Coffee Association America conference in San Francisco in April 2000, Erna Knutsen was awarded the Golden Bean Award. The award was presented to her by Trygve Klingenberg, then CEO of Solberg & Hansen.
- "We are proud of her Norwegian origins and she is a true role model for everyone who works with coffee. A true inspiration," said Trygve during the award ceremony in 2000.
Trygve Klingenberg became general manager of Solberg & Hansen in 1974, the same year that Erna Knutsen used the word speciality coffee for the first time. He remained general manager until the day he retired in 2006.
Sources:
SCAA / Covoya Coffee / Bubbly
