de Mello Palheta Coffee Roasters

Location:

Toronto, ON

Website:

https://www.hellodemello.com/

"We were very lucky, I have to say, when we were opening the business," says Felix Cha, referring to the warm welcome uptown Toronto has given him and his brother Won's cafe.

It's soon clear that it was more than just good fortune that has made their reputation. What sets this cafe apart is their very deliberate approach to roasting and sharing coffee.

Headaches and Glory

"There are a lot of headaches - the more you know about coffee," explains Cha.

"The weather, the roasting, the barista, the dialing," furthered Cha.

Training for coffee cupping competitions is a routine. Dozens of cups are being tasted each day because there is no way of telling what's going to come up in competition.

He looks for more than just flavour. Because coffee has so many variables in it's taste, competitors need to look for more subtle differences in the coffee, such as acidity, using different brewing methods.