Tim Wendelboe Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Damian from our team, who became the Norwegian Cup Tasters Champion in March this year. Damian works both as a barista in our espresso bar and as a roaster in our roastery, and he has been part of the team since 2023. We talk about his journey into coffee, how he ended up working with us, and what it is like to work in Norway compared to his previous jobs. We also discuss how he brews coffee at home, what motivates him to keep learning, and how he approaches tasting and quality control in his daily work. As part of his prize for winning the national championship, Damian travelled to Honduras to take part as a judge in the Cup of Excellence – a competition for high-quality coffees. He shares his impressions from visiting coffee farms for the first time, what he learned from producers like Jobneel, and how seeing the production side of coffee has shaped his perspective. This week, Damian will represent Norway in the World Cup Tasters Championship in Geneva. We talk about his goals for the competition, how he has been preparing, and what he has learned about himself through the process.Music by my uncle, Jens Wendelboe.

The biggest project we are working on right now is what we call our "TW Biological Project". Our goal is that all the farms we buy from in 10 years will be practising regenerative and biological farming. We are currently testing this on six farms in latin-America, where we are comparing biological farming techniquea to how they are currently working (conventional farming) on two similar areas of each farm to see what the results will be within three years. We are discussing the results we expect and how we plan to work to reach our goal. In this episode, I sit down with Maren from our team. Maren has worked with us since 2021, having previously worked as both a barista and a coffee roaster, before moving to Italy to complete her Master's degree in local development. She has now finished her degree and is currently our project coordinator for sustainability. She is leading the development of our sustainability strategy and works closely with me and the farmers we buy from.We talk about regenerative agriculture, what it means and why it could be the future of coffee. We discuss topics such as biological farming vs conventional farming, sustainable consumption, greenwashing, certifications in coffee, climate change effects , and labour on coffee farms.One of Maren's main focus right now is EUDR (European Union Deforestation Regulation). The main objective of the regulation is to uncover potential cases of deforestation related to coffee production, and end the supply of products on the European market that has contributed to deforestation. We need to map and have an overview of the farms we work with to verify whether or not deforestation or forest degradation has taken place, which is a lot of work – even for us, as we only work with a handful of coffee farmers.Music by my uncle Jens Wendelboe.

In this episode, I sit down with Ben Symes, our wholesale manager, to reflect on the highlights of 2024. We discuss our favourite coffees of the year, including the washed coffee from Tatmara and the Java from Finca Tamana, as well as developments on the farms we work with. Tim also shares insights from the farmer symposium he held in Honduras and our plans to help convert all the farms we work with to biological farming practices. This year brought many memorable experiences, such as time spent in Kenya with Klaus Thomsen, our pop-up at the Coffee Collective in Denmark, the Ljubljana Coffee Festival with James Hoffmann, and a special dinner at Noma to mark the close of our chapter with them. Being recognised as the best roastery by Roastful was a standout moment, made possible by the dedication of our team across every aspect of the business, from roasting and packaging to serving in the espresso bar and managing orders. But we would not be where we are without the hard work and dedication that all the coffee producers we buy from put in every year. Finally, we reflect on what it means to be the "Best Roaster" and look ahead to 2025 with new harvests and plans. Join us for a review of 2024 and a look at what is to come. Music by my uncle Jens Wendelboe.

In this episode, I am joined by our Wholesale Manager, Ben Symes, to answer your questions. Earlier in October, we invited you to send in any questions you had for us. We received such a great response that we had to split the podcast into two parts. In this episode, Ben and I will be focusing on your questions about roasting and tasting. Music by my uncle Jens Wendelboe.

In this episode, I am back at Diego Baraona's farm, Los Pirineos, in El Salvador, one year after our last recording. Since then, significant developments have unfolded both on the farm and in Diego's future plans. Having closely collaborated with Diego for nearly four years, and previously with his father, Gilberto Baraona, I've witnessed Diego's growth as a coffee producer firsthand. Taking over the farm after his father's passing, Diego has shown considerable progress. Last year, I organised a trip to Guatemala for the farmers we buy coffee from in Latin America - Diego, Moises, Marysabel, and Elias - introducing them to Josué Morales, a dedicated organic coffee producer. The aim was to inspire a shift towards organic cultivation, with my personal goal of exclusively buying organically grown coffee from Latin America within the next decade. Diego was particularly moved by this experience, with plans now underway to transition Los Pirineos into a fully organic farm in the coming years. Despite being a successful coffee farmer, Diego is planning to scale down his farm. He'll delve into the reasons behind this decision and shed light on the challenges he currently faces as a coffee producer. Looking ahead, Diego together with his mother, plan to open a hotel on his farm in the near future, offering coffee enthusiasts from all over the world an opportunity to visit his farm and delve deeper into the world of coffee. In terms of processing, there have been notable shifts in Diego's approach. While he previously experimented with various methods, he now primarily focuses on washed coffees. He will share insights into the reasons for this shift. If you stay until the end of the episode, Diego will answer questions submitted by you through our Instagram. To learn more about the Los Pirineos farm, visit our website. Music by my uncle Jens Wendelboe.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of sitting down with my friend Kennedy Keya, director of trading and operations at C.Dorman in Kenya.Join us as we delve into our coffee-buying process in Kenya today.In the past year, there have been significant changes in how the coffee market operates in Kenya. Previously, companies like C.Dorman were involved in multiple stages of the coffee production process. However, new regulations now limit companies to performing just one role within the coffee value chain. Kennedy, representing C.Dorman, shares valuable insights into how they are adapting to these changes and discusses the potential impact of these changes on the future of the coffee industry in Kenya. We also discuss what makes Kenyan coffee so exceptional, delving into the factors that contribute to its unique flavor profile and why prices for Kenyan coffee tend to be higher compared to those from other countries.Kennedy also share some of the challenges that have led to a decline in coffee production and quality in Kenya in recent years, offering thoughtful perspectives on potential solutions to reverse this trend.Music by my uncle Jens Wendelboe.

In this episode, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Negussie Tadesse, the man behind Tatmara Coffee Plantation in the historic region of Kaffa, Ethiopia - a place many consider the birthplace of coffee. Join us as we explore Negussie's inspiring story: from his initial journey into coffee farming to the enormous task of establishing Tatmara Coffee Plantation in 2010. We discuss our collaboration with Belco, the company that first introduced me to Negussie and why my first visit to Tatmara in 2018, coinciding with Ethiopia's opening for direct sales, was a significant milestone. We also talk about why I always seek to establish direct relationships with the producers we buy from and the benefits of having a shared vision of continual improvement. Negussie also opens up about a challenging year when rains devastated his crop, providing a glimpse into the realities of coffee farming. Looking ahead, we'll hear about his future aspirations for Tatmara and the challenges he anticipates in consistently producing high-quality coffee. Music by my uncle Jens Wendelboe.

In this special episode, I celebrate my 25th year of working in the coffee industry. Joining me for this reflective chat is my good friend Andreas Hertzberg, the Co-founder of Nordic Approach and the chairman of our company's board. We retrace our steps to the early days at Stockfleth’s and Solberg & Hansen, reminiscing about our shared journey – a journey filled with mutual learning, inspiration, discovery and being part of the development of modern coffee culture in Norway. I dive deep into my inaugural competition, and together, Andreas and I discuss why the 2002 World Barista Championship holds such a pivotal place in my professional journey. We explore the 'Cup of Excellence' and its impact on coffee pricing dynamics. The importance of transparency, the moral obligation of paying our producers a commendable price, and how the ‘Cup of Excellence’ has influenced these practices. We then take a nostalgic trip down memory lane, discussing the historical significance of the Nordic Barista Cup and the Nordic Roaster forum. Sit back and join us in celebrating this silver milestone in the realm of coffee. Cheers to a quarter of a century and hopefully many more to come!Music by my uncle Jens Wendelboe.