Chris White never could have imagined that applying for a job in the local newspaper after deciding to leave school in 1980 would be the first step in his now 40 year career.
Hired by the original owners of Robert Harris Tea & Coffee to help out in the warehouse, White did everything from roasting and packing to walking the dog and washing cars in the early years. He never sought out a career in coffee, rather ‘falling’ into the industry straight out of school and finding himself in a job he loved.
The highlight of the job, according to White, is teaching people what makes a great coffee. “It all starts with the green beans we select, these have to be of a certain grade and quality and roasted to bring out the exact flavour profile we are looking for,” White explained.
Altura Coffee pride themselves on their sustainability efforts, working closely with their green bean suppliers in order to trace their coffee back to each farm and only supplying compostable packaging and takeaway cups.
Using the Diedrich CR70 coffee roaster, White is able to control the parameters of the roast every 30 seconds to achieve perfect consistency. This allows Altura Coffee to always have a range of exciting new projects on the go, including a range of micro lot coffees.
White’s advice to individuals looking to get into the industry is to learn as much as possible. “Coffee roasting is an art, you must be passionate about the bean, just because you can cook doesn’t mean you become a head chef quickly, the same applies with coffee, learn as much as you can from seed to cup.”
