After working in the Auckland construction industry for 38 years, Dean Thompson relocated to Kerikeri to enjoy the countryside. His love for coffee and interest in machinery got him a recommendation at Max Coffee two years ago. This love has only evolved since then with his consistent excitement at discovering new flavour profiles and roasts.
"I have always enjoyed tasting and making coffee at home, and for some reason, I've always read or watched videos about roasting coffee and how different types of machines and roasting methods differ," said Thomspon.
"I love to know how things work, and years ago, I delved into how coffee machines work- even pulling apart a copper/ brass coffee machine from the 70s my nephew found on the side of the road and restoring it purely out of curiosity."
Thompson believes that he is destined to be a coffee roaster. His attention to detail and process-driven approach has been beneficial to understanding various variables associated with coffee roasting and how subtle changes to the process can achieve the best results. He also enjoys talking to customers and receiving feedback, which helps him discover new flavour profiles.
To explore more about coffee, he dreams of travelling to Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, which has around six different growing regions, with flavours ranging from citrus, berries, and lemon in the Sidamo region to chocolate tastes with hints of spice and wine in the Genkia region.
"Most producers in Ethiopia grow coffee on one hectare or less land. With such a small holding, they are closely connected to what they produce, which must have a better effect on the beans than other countries where growers have much larger plantations."
Early on in his coffee journey, Thompson preferred robust Italian-style coffee. As time passed, his palette has developed a preference for complex yet balanced medium roasts, his favourite being a Honduras Organic roasted at Max Coffee with flavours of chocolate, biscuit, nutmeg, dry fruit, hazelnut and butter, making it as great as an espresso.
A unique feature of Max Coffee is their usage of a 1950s Otto Swadlo drum roaster which has been upgraded over time by computer system link-ups to help monitor roasts and capture data. Thompson has also developed new purge, gas on/off cycles and roast times for each roast profile. However, these upgrades have been slower as only one parameter can be changed simultaneously to determine the effect.
Sustainability has always been a part of Max Coffee, with coffee beans being supplied in paper bags and recyclable plastic packaging for their supermarket products. A resident collects used coffee grounds and chaff to improve soil quality on his land or is incorporated into other local businesses' composting products.
Max Coffee also discounts anyone who brings their container for coffee beans and their cup when ordering a drink. Coffee sacks have been upcycled for various projects, the latest one used to reupholster coffee bar stools.
Thompson is excited about the future of Max Coffee, which will soon be trying and testing roasted coffee beans in a new sample roaster that ties in with its roasting software more effectively.
"We can start experimenting with new origins and alternative roast profiles, which isn't practical with a 12 kg roaster."
He advises upcoming coffee roasters to concentrate and taste to improve their palate and have consistent tasting flavours.
