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A good coffee starts with a great roast. When coffee beans (technically seedlings, not beans) are first picked, they’re green with a mild grassy smell. Roasting transforms them into the dark, glossy, aromatic beans that are then ground to make our americanos. It’s an art in itself with a whole host of different complex methods, all of which deliver a different taste.
All of that is to say that coffee roasting takes a lot of skill and expertise. And that skill was celebrated last week at the Glasgow Coffee Festival, where roasters from across the UK competed against one another to be crowned the country’s best.
The contest saw roasting an coffee identical to their own specifications and submitting a sourced coffee that represented their brand’s style. Each one was judged through a blind, peer-assessed cupping. After all that, the grand prize went to head roaster at Glasgow’s Thomson’s Coffee, Jonathan Martinez.
Martinez was born is originally from Ahuachapán in northwest El Salvador and moved to Scotland in 2016 after meeting his now wife. Growing up in El Salvador, he spent much of his time on coffee farms. When he came to Scotland, he felt homesick, so to feel some connection to his hometown, he began an entry-level position at Thomson’s.
‘Coffee felt like a link to my culture and my people,’ he said.‘I began packing coffee and fixing anything that broke in the warehouse because of my background in electronics.’
‘When a coffee from my hometown arrived at the roastery, I knew at least ten people who had hand-picked it. The winning roast was deeply personal as it immediately took me back to my childhood.’
The rest is history. Martinez worked his way up to become head roaster at the roastery. The roast that won him the competition is inspired by his childhood on those coffee farms.
In response to being named the UK’s best coffee roaster, he said: ‘Glasgow has given me a home, and I’m absolutely thrilled to bring this prize to the city. The calibre of competitors was outstanding. Glasgow Coffee Festival creates the perfect environment for coffee professionals to grow and showcase the dedication that goes into every cup.
‘I’m proud of the coffee scene here with so many amazing cafés, outstanding roasteries and a real sense of community. People genuinely support each other.’
Thomson’s has two of its own shops in Glasgow – one in Giffnock and one in Gallowgate. You can also find its roasts at community cafe 1841 Vinicombe Street on Glasgow’s West End, 1841 Hyndland and Burnfield Bakery.
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