Tony Yuan, a roastery assistant at Karajoz Coffee Company, moved from China to New Zealand almost thirteen years ago to get an education at Wellington’s Victoria University.
Despite having a solid background in the information technology sector, the coffee industry interested him, and he received a City and Guilds International Award in Barista Skills Certificate at Mojo Coffee whilst working as a café assistant.
Yuan only recently moved from Wellington to Auckland during the pandemic and joined the Karajoz team, which helped him unlock his full potential as a coffee roaster.
He wishes to visit Blue Bottle Coffee in California, the world-renowned specialty coffee roaster that makes the coffee-making process more approachable for ordinary customers.
“I thoroughly enjoy working in the coffee environment and feel happy if the customer loves our coffee, especially the coffee I roast,” said Yuan. “The most rewarding part of my job is constantly developing the skills I need to succeed in the years to come, learning from mistakes and experience.”
Roasting is both an art and a science, and a good roast always brings out the best flavours from the beans with a balanced acidity that is both bitter and sweet simultaneously, leaving a fragrant aroma and creating a memorable aftertaste.
“You must love coffee or love drinking coffee. When you become a coffee roaster, you will drink the coffee you roast and determine whether the coffee is good or not.”
A favourite origin of Yuan’s is Panama, specifically La Esmeralda, which produces a delicious Geisha. “It changed my mind about how coffee could or should taste.”
“Starting with a home roasting device is a good idea, but moving towards the professional level will require focus, training, and dedication,” advised Yuan, who also volunteers at Ikarus Coffee, harvesting coffee cherry and processing coffee beans.
At Karajoz, sustainability is in their coffee bean packaging, which can be recycled. The company also uses fair trade organic coffee beans. Their coffee chaff and sacks are freely available for public usage, and their after-burner on the roaster limits the smoke emissions and other particulate matter.
Yuan hopes to adopt IT into the process of coffee roasting and create a solution that can change the industry.
