Although his wife was originally the barista of the family, Dennis Dordevic didn’t realise how much of a passion he had for coffee. A self-confessed perfectionist, Dordevic gained as much insight and knowledge as he possibly could, mentored by some of the best in the industry, to kickstart his career officially. After making coffee and competing in various barista programmes for several years, it was a natural progression for him to learn how to roast coffee, which he has done since 2008.
Located in inner-west Sydney, Dordevic and his wife Mira own Brew Ha Ha Coffee Roasters, a community roastery focused on producing and serving high-quality coffee. Dordevic added that once he discovered the perfect blend of flavour, there was no turning back.
“The most rewarding part of my job is when customers recognise the flavours that I'm telling them to expect in the coffee I've roasted! That means I've found that particular coffee's best expression - it doesn't get much better than that,” said Dordevic.
There are more technical features to brewing coffee than what Dordevic originally realised, but he said a defining feature of a great roast is when all the checkpoints are at the time he expects them to be, and once quality control is completed, he knows he has a perfect product. In terms of sustainability, he only sources coffee from producers that implement and demonstrate sustainable practices.
Throughout his journey with Brew Ha Ha, Dordevic has received several high accolades for his coffee, such as placing fifth at the 2022 Australian Coffee Roasting Championship. He has also been inspired by travelling to Honduras in 2017, and then Finca El Arbol in Nicaragua in 2018, where a farm was named in his wife's honour. Another proud moment for Dordevic was raising funds for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, a genetic disease that is little known and has slim government funding.
Dordevic said that the most vital part of being a coffee roaster is to never stop learning and growing within the industry.
“I believe that a roaster, in order to execute their craft to the best of their ability, must stay cutting edge, whether it means the latest knowledge, theories, innovations or software.”
He added that anyone who would like to join the industry will need to be prepared to learn and explore the different opportunities that it presents. Investing in mentors was another tip to fast-track their knowledge. Experiencing different methodologies and ideologies have shaped Dordevic’s career, and he advises the same to all others. This has allowed him to draw his own conclusions as to what he believes in, and implement his own personal style.
With the ever-emerging developments in new coffee species, roasting equipment and brewing equipment complemented by data provided by software have created an exciting future for Dordevic.
