SIMONE

Learn More about Simone

Simone started working in coffee by chance back in 2004, working for a roasting company where he was looking after the roasting and the logistic part of the company. This is where he started to get passionate about coffee and also to have a good understanding on how to run a Coffee roasting company.

In 2006 he started working as an espresso machine engineer before deciding to concentrate on learning more about coffee beans in 2008. This is when he started working as a barista trainer.

From 2008 to 2010 he got more involved in the speciality coffee scene and did a number of trips into coffee growing countries, first in Nicaragua for a volunteer project.

While in San Jose Des Los Remates, he conducted meetings with members of the local agricultural co-operative regarding the different stages of the industrial processing of the raw coffee product.

Following this, he visited the Fazenda Camocim, in Espiritu Santo (Brazil). This is where he expanded his knowledge and learned more about Biodynamic Agriculture.

In 2010 he decided to move to Guatemala where he spent some time at Fedecocagua, the third biggest coffee exporting company in the country. While in South America he also judged the National Barista Competition in Guatemala and In El Salvador.

Simone moved back to the UK in 2012 and after working for a while as a barista trainer for different companies, decided to open his first coffee shop with Roberto.

One of the reasons why Simone became passionate about coffee is that it is a product that comes from the earth and he still finds really fascinating how different cultures around the world can grow it, process it and drink it in different ways.

He has always loved Latin American culture, the Spanish language, biodynamic farming and environment. Cooking as always been a big passion of his and he found it to be really useful when roasting coffee, as the roasting process is basically the process of cooking something.

At home, he uses every sort of brewing method, from Aeropress to Chemex, to V60 and even an espresso machine. In Fact the first espresso machine that was used in their first coffee shop (the Faema E61 at Chairs and Coffee) was his personal espresso machine that he bought off the parish of his village. He restored it and used for a while at home and now it is on display at the roastery.

He loves every style of coffee. He can bring home very fruity and complex beans to make as a Chemex like the Ethiopia Hafursa or more chocolatey and caramelly stuff like 80 Stone’s Honduras Liquidambar.