- Ever since speciality coffee became popular in Norway, the barista has been in focus. They have been the artists behind a good cup of coffee. No-one has talked about the people behind the fantastic product they work with," says Simo Kristidhi. He is the man behind the Norwegian Championship in coffee roasting.
We were finally appreciated
A couple of years ago, Simo Kristidhi was invited to an informal trial World Coffee Roasting Championship by the organisation World Coffee Events. The premises were the same as for the current world championship: Using the same coffee and the same equipment, the coffee was to be roasted to perfection. The likeable Greek Simo walked away with the victory and a feeling that his craft was appreciated. He felt skilful.
Today, a few years later, he has organised three Norwegian championships on his own initiative to honour his colleagues and the craft they are all passionate about. The 2017 competition was the first championship in which he participated without being on the organising side. It ended with a solid victory and a ticket to the World Championships in China later that year.
- After I got the feeling that my craft was finally being appreciated, I realised that I had to do something similar in Norway. We're a big community here at home, and I believe we're the best in the world at roasting coffee. It's really cool that people are now realising how important we are to coffee. It's also important that we now have a unified forum for discussion and development of the profession we work in," says Simo proudly.
Quality requires quality
Simo roasts speciality coffee in the roastery every day and knows exactly how to bring out the best in the raw materials. He also knows that the value chain is dependent on quality at every stage.
- The coffee beans play a huge role. After all, they are the ones who grow the raw materials. Furthermore, we are the ones who determine the coffee's flavour profile through roasting. A good coffee is quality in many ways, and I think these competitions help people realise just that," explains Simo.
His enthusiasm for coffee is clear, and although he describes himself as shy, he can hardly stop talking about his great passion.
Impossible not to be swallowed by the environment
His colleagues at the coffee roastery are like Simo's family, and since he came to Norway almost twenty years ago, Solberg & Hansen has been his second home.
- "When I first came here, I drank coffee with milk and sugar," laughs Simo.
However, it wasn't long before he was swallowed up by the coffee community.
- I loved it immediately! People like Audun Sørbotten, Willy Hansen, Morten Wennersgaard, Andreas Hertzberg and Tim Wendelboe have taught me so much.
Amidst the sound of beans pouring into the roaster, Simo reminisces about a time that was full of impressions and young courage. He wanted to be the best at roasting coffee, and every day was a competition.
- I started out as a packer, but it was the coffee roaster I wanted to be. Morten Wennersgaard was my mentor, and I always paid close attention to his work.
When Simo started at Solberg & Hansen, production was far smaller than it is now, but the competition was even greater. Simo tells of weekly "roast-offs" between the burners, and bitter losses.
- "Every Friday there was a 'roast off', and Audun Sørbotten almost always won. "Even today, I hate losing competitions like that," laughs Simo. "We test all the coffee we roast through cupping, and if someone roasts the same coffee better than me, I get jealous. I think that kind of environment and attitude is why we're constantly improving. It's also why we always deliver high quality coffee.
Amidst the sound of beans pouring into the roaster, Simo reminisces about a time that was full of impressions and young courage. He wanted to be the best at roasting coffee, and every day was a competition.
No coincidences
If there's one thing Simo has learnt at Solberg & Hansen, it's that quality is important - regardless of the level of production. There are no coincidences here.
- For us at Solberg & Hansen, it is important that we are at the forefront and show the way for other distilleries. For example, we were the first to start approving all production through cupping. We were also the first to start nitrogen flushing the bags to protect the coffee from oxidisation. We do everything we can to ensure that the quality of the coffee is as good as possible," says an enthusiastic Simo, who has finally sat down to enjoy a well-deserved coffee break.
- It's all about professional pride. We log everything we do down to the smallest detail, and everything from temperature to burning time for each different burn is stored in our systems. In this way, we can both repeat what we did correctly, but also adapt to different variables and seasons. Since the beans in January are not the same as those in August, we also need to be flexible.
The only one who didn't look at the coffee
It is this intense pursuit of perfection and quality that Simo believes was the reason he won the Norwegian championship. He spent a lot of time planning, and all the time he had left over between test firings was spent perfecting his craft.
- I was probably the only one who didn't look at the coffee during the roast. I plan my roasts well and utilise both my experience and the knowledge database from Solberg & Hansen to the full. I actually pulled off two roasts that didn't go according to plan," says Simo. He's suddenly a little more serious, it's clear that he's a competitive person.
- We were first tasked with roasting a single origin coffee from Burundi. I'm used to working with coffees from this area, so it suited me well. I was also pleased to hear that my cup was by far the best," says Simo with a smile.
After that, the participants roasted a blend of three coffees: One from Burundi, one from Colombia and one from Ethiopia. Here, too, things went well for Simo.
