Former Otane resident Tyler Ritchie came second in the Innovation in Origin coffee competition in China. The caffeine enthusiast chats to Mark Story about the perfect roast.
What's the biggest learning from your success at the recent Innovation in Origin comp?
Go with your gut. stick with what you know, what
you planned. Not to be influenced by other competitors. I did that at nationals and completely lost touch of who I was as a roaster and found it hard to recover from mistakes I made. At Innovation in Origin I stuck to my plan, got in the zone, and went with what I do best. Also, Google Translate is life! I had many laughs and silent conversations (typing into my phone and showing the person I was talking to) with passionate Chinese roasters and have kept in contact since returning to Aussie.
You mentioned you were gifted Chinese-grown coffee to try – how does it differ to what we're used to drinking here?
Three very kind ladies who work for a coffee company just north of Nanjing have an Arabica farm in Yunnan- the biggest coffee growing, producing and exporting province in China. They really wanted me to try it, so they came to my hotel the next day and gave me some filter bags and cold brew! It was clean, rich chocolates, subtle stone-fruit, a little nutty, very easy to drink! I thought it was similar to coffee from Papua New Guinea. Yunnan coffee does not have massive stand out characteristics that would be recognisably different to what you are used to drinking, but it does make an exceptionally good blend component because of the common subtle, clean flavour profile and consistency of the coffee being produced there.
How do Australians take their coffee – as opposed to Kiwis?
Kiwis are used to a standard double shot! In Australia (for the general consumer) that would knock their socks off, but i have found in Australia they are more open to trying different coffees as opposed to sticking with a flat white or long black everyday. Here, it is easy to find exceptionally good 90+ (high scoring) coffee made for you as a pour over or many different brew methods. I feel like people here are often changing up their order and catching on to the latest trends or jumping from cold brew to espresso to single origin filter, keeping it exciting. In saying this, I have been here for 4 years - New Zealand may have changed.
Describe for us the perfect roast.
You tell me? I am a perfectionist and the day I conquer the perfect roast I will let you know! But for now, as long as I am learning and constantly moving forward, achieving incredible flavour, balance consistently and enjoying the coffee I roast, I'm 99 percent satisfied.