Interview with Luis Gómez, Roastery and Lab Manager of Yours Truly
Before launching Yours Truly, the team made their mark as Semilla, a Montréal-based green coffee importer. Yours Truly represents the natural next step in that mission: a small-scale roasting project created to ensure coffees find a home.
Semilla built its name importing green coffee, and now you’re roasting under Yours Truly. What was the main motivation behind starting a roastery?
Yours Truly is a small-scale roasting operation created as an extension of Semilla Coffee Importers. Our core mission at Semilla is to buy full harvests from smallholders and build long-term relationships. Sometimes we have incredible lots that don't find a buyer on the import side, so rather than turning our backs on those producers, Yours Truly roasts and features those coffees directly to connect drinkers straight to the producers.
Can you tell us about your background in coffee and how you joined the team at Yours Truly?
I’m originally from Bogotá, Colombia, where my family has a farm. I studied as an agronomist before moving to Montréal in 2023. I started out working as a barista and production assistant at local cafés like Café Alphabet before jumping into roasting. Joining Semilla and Yours Truly was a dream come true because it allowed me to combine my agronomy background with green coffee importing and roasting.
How big is the roasting team behind Yours Truly?
We’re a small team! In the roastery and lab, there are usually three or four of us. I manage the lab and roasting operations, Elizabeth works on roast profiling, and we’re currently training our newest team member on the roaster as well. It’s a very close-knit, hands-on group who are making things happen.
Can you tell us about your quality control lab at Yours Truly?
I manage our lab space in Montréal where we receive and evaluate all our samples before and after green lots arrive. We cup every week to assess quality. It’s also a space where clients and roasters can drop in, cup alongside us, and taste coffees.
Coming from Colombia, what has it been like to taste coffees from all over the world in the lab?
Coming from Colombia, you grow up hearing that Colombian coffees are the best in the world! But working in the lab with Semilla, I get to cup coffees every single week from Honduras, Guatemala, Rwanda, Uganda, Mexico, and so many other origins. It’s been so fun to expand my palate and discover just how incredible coffees from all these different origins truly are.
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