Growing up between the beautiful Swiss mountains, Tasmanian bushes, and Moruya let Samuel Steiner undertake various job roles, from horticulture and hospitality to retail and sales.
After eventually landing a job at a coffee distribution company without knowledge of the industry, he got addicted to its fast pace and endless learning opportunities. He purchased his roaster to start the process.
The eye-opener for him was a trip to Panama, which taught him the ins and outs of the coffee industry. After having travelled to Panama, Colombia, Peru and the Phillippines, he wishes to visit Ethiopia to learn more about coffee.
“I love the impact that coffee has on the world and the change we can bring through our business alongside many other roasting companies by improving how we do what we do, our purchasing habits, our direct trade links, and in general by educating our customers about the coffee trade and the importance of bringing change and inspiring hope into the future. Coffee is the medium we use to fulfil our purpose,” said Steiner, now the owner and head roaster of Australia’s Alfresco Coffee Roasters, well-known for producing exceptional coffee solutions up and down the South Coast.
As a firm believer in making the world a better place, Steiner enjoys creating a high-quality beverage that impacts people and helping people passionate about coffee to find their goals.
Another thing that Steiner is passionate about is a sustainable future, which is seen in his venture, Alfresco Coffee, which prides itself in dealing with trusted partners of sustainable coffee and is on a journey to pursue transparent, ethical and sustainable trade practices continuously.
Presently undergoing a rebrand, Alfresco Coffee approaches roasting as a craft that keeps evolving quickly to adapt to desirable trends while maintaining consistent roast profiles and customer satisfaction.
“Coffee is a very subjective product. One of the key ingredients to defining a great roast or coffee product is sourcing green beans that carry the characteristics required to meet the desired flavour profile that the roaster is chasing,” said Steiner, who has a special place in his heart for Colombian coffee.
He advises budding coffee roasters to discover their “why” before starting a coffee roasting career. “Most people starting have a romantic idea of what the industry provides, and as much as it does have those elements of excitement, creativity and fun, at some stage, you are likely to undergo a period where your “why” is the only reason to keep pushing on.” A solid purpose and "why" will be the driver behind success.
