Made of Many - Stanmore

Many. That’s what goes into a cup of coffee. Growers, exporters, importers, roasters, baristas, and customers all play a part in bringing you a delicious cup. When Ben started out on his career in coffee, he worked at a few big companies. To him, it felt like everything was done with little intention aligned to any particular value and at many times relationships weren’t prioritised. He witnessed some brands market themselves as sustainable, partnering with small farms but then buying elsewhere the following year for drops in quality. To Ben, it felt unfair and unsustainable to root a coffee roaster in these business transactions. He believed coffee should be far more collaborative and relationship-driven.

This led to a crazy idea, what if brand is removed as a selling point. What if it’s just about the people, the relationships. So that’s what Ben did. This belief is driven to the core of Made of Many, it’s literally in the name. However, it’s best summed up in their value statement:

We believe that people are the best versions of themselves when they pursue what they love. Our passion is to engage and captivate through the way we source and roast coffee.

We are dedicated to the craft and are always looking for better ways to display the vivid character within a particular coffee and honour the passionate work that goes into growing it.

Shifting gear, Ben is a self-proclaimed technical nerd. I asked him what he loves about roasting coffee, and he said hitting targets and thinking deeply about building consistent systems brings him deep satisfaction. When he was younger he loved abstract maths and he finds similar satisfaction in roasting, tweaking, and perfecting a profile. Oh… and he also loves the smell. Ben’s nose is so attuned that he can tell when a roast is done by a slight change in the smell. He used these honed skills to take first place in the 2015 Australian Aeropress competition.

I dug up the recipe he used to win because it’s pretty crazy:

Reverse osmosis water at 74 degrees Celsius
20 grams of sorted coffee, placed in the AeroPress in standard position
50 grams water poured, creating a 30-second bloom
Add 110 grams water after 30-second bloom
Plunge slowly at the 55-second mark for 1:15 seconds
Finish by adding 65 grams of water at 80 degrees Celsius.
Hold temperature by covering, then aerate at the last minute before serving

*Retrieved from: https://sprudge.com/the-2015-australia-aeropress-championship-winners-recipes-74404.html

Crazy right! The thing is, if you talked to Ben, he wouldn’t tell you about his crazy technical skills or his attuned nose. He would tell you about the farmers, the importers, and all the people around him doing great stuff because for him, that’s what it’s about. Moving forward, Made of Many is going to continue to focus on building strong relationships, sticking them out, and roasting great coffee. Finding people who align with similar values that ensure the future of coffee is bright.

So enjoy the amazing coffees we have this week. As you do, think about all the hard work that has gone into them from the farmer, roaster, barista (you ;) ) and be thankful.