Illimité means without limits. For the brand’s founder and roaster, Lukáš Kubíny, however, it means much more: something delicate and intimate, and above all the powerful emotions that sparked his endless passion for specialty coffee. “Coffee with a story” takes on a whole new dimension at Illimité, where transparency, sustainability and an environmentally conscious approach are the foundations of Lukáš’s attitude to the coffee business. Still, tasting once is always better than hearing about it a hundred times.
For more information or to discuss working together, visit www.illimite.sk .
We met Lukáš at the Drip Coffee Festival in Piešťany and had a great conversation…
One thing really fascinates me: how does a pharmaceutical laboratory technician get into coffee roasting?
When it comes to drinking coffee, I have been through everything: instant coffee, coffee brewed straight in the cup, and “presso”. However hard I tried to understand coffee, all I could taste was bitterness. Why was that? In 2006, I was working in Ireland and became fascinated by its coffee culture. With my interest in chemistry and coffee, I started exploring more deeply, read a few books and began experimenting with roasting — in a frying pan, in the oven on a perforated pizza tray… And then it happened. I realised I had fallen in love. (laughs)
How did Illimité come about, and what does it mean to you?
The deeper I went into coffee, the more hooked I became. I started to understand it, and it fascinated me. I founded Illimité in 2014 alongside my day job, but soon realised that I could not keep going at that pace, physically or mentally. I had to set my priorities. So in 2016, I left my job and devoted myself fully to developing the business.
How do you choose your coffees? Are there cafés where we can regularly find them in the grinder?
At first, I bought coffee purely on intuition. I looked at what was available and bought what appealed to me. Today, I take great care over my selection. I try to buy exceptional coffees, whether because of their flavour profile or because they are nano-lots and micro-lots: coffees produced in small quantities with limited availability. I always order samples first, roast them and taste them. Only then do I choose a coffee for my range. I focus on the details: small batches, precision and environmental responsibility. I do everything myself, and I care deeply about both quality and my relationships with customers. My philosophy is to take a friendly approach rather than a purely “business” one. A good example is Bratislava’s Mad Drop café, for which I prepare their house espresso.
How do you feel about the many local roasteries opening in Slovakia? Is there room for them in the market?
I see every new roastery or good café as a very positive development. Slovakia is a small country, and awareness of specialty coffee is still limited. The more people — our customers — become interested in coffee, the more opportunity we have to draw them into the world we love so much. And that is a relationship from which we can all benefit…