Indonesian-born Budiono Ali, who grew up in Singapore before settling in Australia, dived into the coffee roasting industry over a decade ago to learn and explore the different flavours and roast profiles of something nostalgic, comforting and reminiscent of home.
To most people, coffee is a daily ritual, and Ali wanted to be a part of it. He loves being able to translate farmers' hard work into a roasted coffee consumed and enjoyed by people.
“A well-developed roast can give a good extraction when brewed and represent who you are as a roaster,” said Ali, whose favourite coffee blend is Indonesian. However, he would also love to visit Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee.
As the founder of Aslan Coffee Roasters, Ali encourages upcoming roasters to be bold and courageous and create the coffee they enjoy, as you cannot please everyone.
“Don’t be afraid to be different, yet remain open-minded to feedback. Know your numbers. As much as it is a passion, it is also a business, and you need to be profitable for the business to be sustainable.”
In terms of sustainability, Aslan Coffee Roasters aims to get a B Corp Certification with their attempt to reduce packaging and use reusable coffee pails for coffee beans and reusable cups.
“We source our coffee beans from Ketiara Co-Ops, which is woman-led, organic certified and recently has a Hutan Fund Program that supports forest regeneration in Sumatra, Indonesia. We continuously support the Cafe Smart Program run by StreetSmart Australia.”
Their roaster uses the Loring S35 Roaster, which provides a consistent roast and eliminates smoke during the roasting process, which is up to 80 percent fuel-savings and reduction of greenhouse gases in every roast, compared to conventional roasters.
Ali hopes to create a space where the general public can come and do their roast or where Aslan Coffee Roasters can roast them on the spot to help people create their blend or enjoy them as a single origin.
