Many of you ask during our courses which coffee we use and why. You are surprised when we explain that your coffee should be freshly roasted, and that it is easy to support Slovak roasters who put their hearts into their work, unlike some big, famous brands whose quality is often open to debate. This year, we have therefore decided to bring you stories and information about these passionate roasters, who want to bring out the best in every bean. We begin with a roastery we work with ourselves and wholeheartedly recommend. Enjoy the read!
Green Plantation, the Komárno roastery founded by Valerian Hrala and Peter Ondrejka, is known not only for sponsoring an AeroPress brewing competition and supporting baristas through workshops and its YouTube channel, but also for its long-standing role in Slovakia’s specialty coffee scene. They have supplied cafés and homes since 2011, and many professionals see them as pioneers: among the first to speak openly about specialty coffee, filter coffee and proper preparation. Many of us are grateful to them for paving the way and making it easier for new, talented roasters and baristas to enter the field. You can read more about their philosophy, wide range of coffees and opportunities to work together at www.gpkava.sk.
We met their roaster and driving force, Peťo Ondrejka, in Bratislava…
Peťo, tell us how it all began, and why you chose specialty coffee…
It all started in 2011, when Valerian decided to move to California and sell the business he had been running with his father. I was not keen on that idea: I had known Valer since childhood and had always had a very positive relationship with coffee. I suggested that he should not sell it — or, if he did, that he should sell it to me. After brainstorming, we agreed to continue together. He would work remotely from California, while I would stay here in Komárno and look after everything. Together, we shifted the roastery from commercial roasting to specialty coffee because we wanted to show coffee’s diversity and tell its story. We started with a small five-kilo roaster and big plans.
Lately, we hear the term “specialty coffee” more and more. What is it, and how can we enjoy it properly?
Specialty coffee accounts for an estimated 10% of global production, and the market is currently growing. Different assessment methods classify it as the highest-quality coffee: carefully grown, processed and roasted. Its flavour characteristics differ somewhat from ordinary blends and can be evaluated. In tasting, it must score at least 80 out of a possible 100 points, with qualities such as flavour, acidity, sweetness, bitterness, balance and aftertaste assessed. Particular attention is paid to freshness, both of the harvest and of the roast.
How have you developed over those six years, and what are the next steps for your roastery?
Our plans are still ambitious. One of last year’s biggest steps was a new partnership with Brazilian farmer William Murad. Not only did he and Valer create Unleashed Coffee — a unique project owned equally by a roaster and a farmer — but he also gave us access to a small part of his farm where we can grow and study our own coffee and keep progressing.
We think this could be the “fourth wave” of the coffee business. While we are currently in the third wave, with its emphasis on quality, specialty coffee and direct trade, the next step could be even closer collaboration between farmers and roasters in their shared pursuit of the perfect cup…
There are plenty of plans and projects for this year and beyond, so follow us on social media and let us surprise you.