Interview with Kayla Pest, Co-Founder, Head Roaster & Sensory Specialist at JAVA ROASTERS
When was Java Roasters founded and what was your initial goal for the company?
JAVA ROASTERS was founded in Toronto in 2018 as a boutique specialty coffee roastery; the cool roastery run on girl power co-founded by Leah Meyer and I. Our goal was, and still is, to build a coffee community around ethically sourced coffee, roasted in small batches with full transparency and with a big shout out to amazing female coffee producers and all the women in the coffee supply chain.
How would you describe JAVA's sourcing ethos?
We’re committed to carefully sourcing and roasting the highest quality coffee. Our philosophy is based on respect for People, Coffee and Earth. We’ve been committed to quality, sustainability and transparency. Our mission is to source amazing coffees from farmers who share our values and are committed to quality. We firmly believe that our roasts can only be as good as the raw beans we source, and that full transparency in coffee trade and business practices is essential to the long-term viability of the entire industry.
What do you hope to see change or evolve in the specialty coffee industry?
We’re about to see a wave of change in the coffee industry. It’s easy to feel daunted by the challenges our industry is facing in recent years. Climate change poses a serious threat to coffee production worldwide. Rising temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns can lead to decreased crop yields and increased pest activity. This not only affects the quantity and quality of coffee but also the livelihoods of farmers who depend on coffee crops for their income. This situation demands from our industry changes our approach to roasting, blending and tasting coffee.
I also hope to see more female representation in the industry, from more coffee offerings grown by women producers to more women-owned coffee businesses throughout the supply chain.
Things have changed since COVID-19 and the popular trend of recreating the cafe experience at home, and customers are now more selective than ever. In addition to cup quality, they expect their coffee to have an ethical and mission-driven directive, and for it to involve truly sustainable and equitable practices.
You design the illustrations on all of your coffee bags! How would you describe your art style, and what inspires you?
Well, the answer is quite simple, it’s called a flat illustration style, a clean and minimalist design style that is two dimensional with bright colors. I take inspiration from incredible stories of people behind the coffee, their lives, places, processing, changing seasons or other current events. It’s important to us to treat every coffee as unique and special. It is our thank you note to all coffee producers for their effort, hard work and passion.
Karen Duong
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