– by Steve Sheppard –
It is hard to tell if anyone’s paying attention to what’s been happening in the Coffee House scene these days because of the fixation with smart-phones. People are less observant than ever before with their heads cranked downward staring lovingly into their screens, so here’s an update: Women are the bomb (rad, dope, sweet, awesome) in coffee houses all across Canada, and if it weren’t for them our coffee would be a lot less special.
Having worked alongside many women in the industry, I quickly came to realize that a woman’s place in the Coffee House was … everywhere. More and more woman are jumping into the specialty coffee scene, from Barista’s to Roasters to owners. Women possess two very special qualities that are the foundation of every successful coffee business: their natural sense of nurturing, and their creativity.
Think about the current trends in the specialty coffee industry and you will find women at the heart of a number of the newer concepts, such as the ‘Roastery Café’. More and more women are focusing on high-end specialty coffees, and some are even roasting. My favorite female roaster is Kat Stewart, who lives in Vancouver, she does an amazing job roasting some of the best coffees I have ever tasted. One of her recent private label blends, created for Beachcomber Coffee, recently scored 91 points from the ‘Coffee Review’ group of Roast Magazine in the U.S. 91 points is a big deal in the world of specialty coffee.
With the push of the big players coming into the market ‘claiming’ to offer specialty coffees, women have figured out that the environment they create and how they run their operation, goes a long way to make a customer feel comfortable and want to come back. Women’s attention to detail in the preparation of the specialty coffees they serve, cannot be matched by a push-button Barista in green aprons, or polyester outfits at a drive-thru.
Many of the best coffee houses and Roastery Café’s I go to are women-centric, which I have come to appreciate. For me, I seek out unusual places that will go the extra mile to deliver something different because, like many consumers who appreciate quality, price does not drive my buying decision. Coffee lovers who appreciate great coffee and want a unique place to enjoy it will most times find themselves amongst more women than men when sipping their favourite hot beverage. Hail to the women in the coffee industry, keep it unique, keep it hot and keep up the great work … Steve out.
