Paolo Scimone: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #55
Published by Tanya in Coffee Insurrection Hero · 10 June 2022
Tags: PaoloScimone, HMC, Italy, CoffeeRoastery, SpecialtyCoffee
Tags: PaoloScimone, HMC, Italy, CoffeeRoastery, SpecialtyCoffee
1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.
I’m Paolo Scimone, coffee roaster (and owner of His Majesty the Coffee), trainer and consultant. I’m travelling all over the World doing consultancy for various roastery, from the smallest to the biggest. I born in Monza (Italy) but now living in London.
2- When and why did coffee become important to you?
Coffee became important to me once I was in UK in 2005 for studying English, I found a job as simple barista (it was before Third Wave arrived in Europe)
3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?
Yes, it was an Ethiopia Sidamo washed…that coffee switched on a spark in my mind
4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?
I’m not working…this is my passion ;-)
5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?
I love Kalita wave because the result is very clean and delicate, comparing with other methods
6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?
Can I please mention 3 of them? Panama Geisha Hartmann 2018, one of the first anaerobic with 20 days of fermentation, I provided this coffee to Alessandro Galtieri for the World Brewers Cup Championship and got the 3rd place!!! The other 2 are from Ethiopia and Yemen. The first one was an Yirgacheffe Washed and the second one a Mocca variety, natural.
7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from?
Ethiopia? Who said Ethiopia? Well, this is my personal ranking: 1st Ethiopia, 2nd Ethiopia, 3rd Ethiopia. Why? Because, like Freddy Mercury was saying: “It’s a kind of magic!”
8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).
9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?
Open your mind and never stop to learn… don’t be focus only on specialty coffees: the world production is so big that you can learn a lot from anyone.
10- How do you the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?
In 10 years we’re going to see a thinning of the gap between specialty and commercial scene, it will help to improve the general quality on the market. It happened also with wine and beer during last years.
11- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Retired in Wales, with a nice house on the cliffs
12- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?
Be passionate, is the only way to work without becoming tired.
