Reykjavík Grapevine - 20.06.2014, Side 16

16
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 08 — 2014
THE NUMBER 1 MUSIC STORE
IN EUROPE ACCORDING TO
LONELY PLANET
SKÓLAVÖRÐUSTÍG 15, 101 REYKJAVÍK AND HARPA CONCERT HALL
Given that there’s certainly no shortage
of coffee shops in downtown Reykjavík,
this begs the questions: what went wrong
and need Icelanders be concerned about
the quality of the coffee they’re guzzling
down?
Coffee is undoubtedly deeply in-
grained in Icelandic culture. No Icelan-
dic get together is complete without a
constant supply of freshly brewed cof-
fee, whether it’s a business meeting or a
confirmation party. At Háskóli Íslands
the break halfway through lectures is
specifically termed a kaffipása (“coffee
break”), meaning it’s basically obligatory
to go and get your coffee fix. Cafés down
in 101 pretty much function as second
homes for many locals.
Icelanders were instrumental in set-
ting up the world coffee competitions
back in 2000 and always scored well in
the early years. Their work has meant
that speciality coffee—coffee that’s made
from beans that can be traced to their
origins and have been processed, roasted
and brewed so as to make the coffee burst
with flavour that is unique, complex and
pleasing to the palate—is widely available
in Iceland. As a home brewer, you can buy
beans from the larger speciality roast-
eries Kaffitár and Te og Kaffi in most
supermarkets. Regulars at Reykjavík
Roasters likely have their coffee made by
one of the former Icelandic barista cham-
pions.
No Funding, No Incentive
However, like so many sectors in Iceland,
the coffee industry felt the impact of that
pesky kreppa. After 2008, funding for the
Icelandic coffee guild Kaffibarþjónafélag
Íslands dropped dramatically. In order to
hold the national competitions, the guild
must be able to pay for the winners to
go abroad for the world championships.
This year there simply wasn’t enough
money in the kitty to hold the national
heats.
Furthermore, while some companies
provide financial support for their staff
to compete, many do not, leaving com-
petitors to bear the costs of sourcing cof-
fee, purchasing the necessary equipment
and any registration fees. “I reckon that
competitors don’t get enough support
during the training
process. It’s very
difficult to practise
if you don’t have any
guidance. Compet-
ing is nerve-wrack-
ing, so I understand
that if competitors
don’t get enough
support they sim-
ply won’t bother,”
says Ingibjörg Jóna
Sigurðardóttir, co-
founder of Kaffis-
miðja Íslands (now
Reykjavík Roasters).
“You need a boost
when things are go-
ing badly and someone to be constantly
watching over you and tasting your cof-
fee.”
Perhaps as a result of these financial
issues, only three people registered for
the Icelandic Barista Championship, five
short of the minimum eight required.
Having limited funds inevitably saps
away energy and enthusiasm for the
competitions, but there could be other
reasons for this apparent lack of interest
on the part of competitors. A wider issue,
and one that isn’t unique to Iceland, is a
lack of formal barista training and quali-
fications, which mean that the profession
isn’t taken seriously. “Baristas are capa-
ble of standing alongside wine merchants
or chefs,” says former Icelandic Barista
Champion Tumi Ferrer, who sits on the
Kaffibarþjónafélag Íslands board and co-
owns Reykjavík Roasters. “Yet, the trade
is not recognised legally as a proper craft.
There is very limited barista training in
hotel and culinary courses, but that could
be the key to inspiring
interest in the trade as
a professional career.”
In order to get
Icelandic coffee pro-
fessionals competing
again, they must be
made aware of the
benefits. “By taking
part in such competi-
tions, the competitors’
experience, knowl-
edge and enthusiasm
increases immensely.
They return full of
passion and new
knowledge that they
can then share with
the industry in their home countries,”
explains Reykjavík Roasters co-owner
Torfi ¬¬Þór Torfason, who has competed
in both the World Barista Championship
and the World Brewers Cup. “They also
make important connections that help
them to learn even more and can be use-
ful if they want to work in coffee in other
countries. I’m speaking from my own ex-
perience here—I wouldn’t be doing what
I do today if I hadn’t decided to start com-
peting. It opened up endless opportuni-
ties for me in this industry.”
Stirring Up A Coffee
Revolution
Nevertheless, it would be premature
to start speculating about the death
of good coffee and talented baristas
in Iceland. Sonja Björk Grant, one
of the pioneers of the competitions
and head judge of the World Barista
Championships, has seen remarkable
changes over her 18 years in the indus-
try. “Nowadays, coffee lovers are very
conscious of how they want to drink
their coffee. That makes working as
a barista more fun and there’s more
dialogue between the coffee lover and
the barista,” she says. “Production at
roasteries has also improved dramati-
cally. There is more exchange between
the coffee growers and those that
import unroasted coffee, and more is
known about cultivation, processing
and what happens when the coffee is
roasted. As a result, we are drinking
better and more traceable coffee in our
modern coffee society.”
Icelanders are becoming open
to the idea of a more specialist ap-
proach to coffee. “There is a growing
food revolution in Iceland. Iceland-
ers are starting to look for products
of a higher quality and are prepared
to pay more for them,” Tumi says. “At
the same time, people are becoming
more and more aware of traceability
in business and have greater respect
for raw materials. They are starting to
realise that a low price is usually due
to inhumane working methods. Coffee
is no exception to this. People are also
starting to take a sincere interest in
coffee and its origin, varieties and pro-
cessing—in the same way that people
do for wine, beer or cheese.”
But will Iceland be able to regain
its former glory on the world stage?
Sonja for one is optimistic. “I am sure
that one day we will have world-class
baristas again. With the opening of
more interesting coffee shops with
character and bold owners thinking
outside the box and focusing on good
coffee, at some point we will catch up
with the best coffee cities in the world.
We are a small nation and it’s perhaps
unreasonable to aim to compare to
London and Melbourne, but I think
that we have to use the creativity and
courage that we have in abundance
even more.”
Competitors can now choose from
seven different competitions, allow-
ing them to specialise in a specific
field, whether they’re interested in
roasting or brewing, latte art or cup
tasting. Icelandic coffee companies
would do well to support their staff in
taking part in these competitions, as it
only serves to boost their business. As-
suming there is enough money to run
the competitions next year, Iceland’s
baristas had better make sure that
the world is not deprived of their tíu
dropar (“ten drops”) again.
In A World Of Coffee,
Where Is Iceland?
Words by Stephanie Lovell @Scandi_Candy
Photo by Alísa Kalyanova
This month, the World of Coffee, one of the leading events in the speciality coffee in-
dustry, took place in Rimini, Italy. Coffee professionals from around the world came
to represent their home countries in a variety of competitions, including the coveted
World Barista Championship. However, for the first time since the championships
were established 14 years ago, Iceland failed to send any competitors.
“One day we will have
world-class baristas
again. With the open-
ing of more interesting
coffee shops with char-
acter and bold owners
thinking outside the
box and focusing on
good coffee, at some
point we will catch up
with the best coffee cit-
ies in the world.”
Culture | Coffee