Winner of World Barista Championship in 2004 and World Cup Tasters in 2005, Tim is international reference in specialty coffees
Tim Wendelboe www.timwendelboe.no visited Brazil quickly in May to launch his book “Coffee with Tim Wendelboe”, ( Café com Tim Wendelboe, 144 pgs, R$ 90), prefaced by barista Isabela Raposeiras, www.coffeelab.com.br and edited by Café Editora. The launching took place at Coffee Lab, Pinheiros, SP, and Tim told us, some days later, that he was amazed at the amount of people who went to the coffee shop to buy the book and watch his lecture.
Café com Tim Wendelboe
Café com Tim Wendelboe
In the morning following the event, Tim went to Minas Gerais to visit Daterra farm www.daterra.com.br and from there he went to Colombia to supervise his own grain production. Back to Oslo, he gave an exclusive interview to Grão Especial, which you can check below:
Grão Especial – Why did you buy a coffee farm in Colombia?
Tim Wendelboe – I’m a perfectionist and wanted to learn how to handle coffees on the tree. I bought the farm in 2015 from a producer I already knew for some time, because I used to buy his coffees. In Colombia, properties are very small and his was a little larger. So, he agreed to sell a portion of it to me.
Grão Especial – And how is production?
Tim Wendelboe – Still incipient. When I bought the farm, I wanted to produce organic coffees, shade-grown. Without certification, however organic. As soon as I took possession of the property, I planted one thousand coffee trees. They all died. I had to start from zero and planted all over again last year. The soil quality was very poor. But now things are getting much better.
Grão Especial – Why did you choose Colombia to produce coffee?
Tim Wendelboe – Before buying in Colombia I considered the possibility of investing in Central America or Kenya. But for me, it made more sense to start in a country where I already had a relation with the person that would help me and from whom I was already buying coffee since 2007. And in 2012 I started to work very close to him to help him improve the quality of his coffee. Today he is my neighbor. In this equation, the person who is going to help me is more important than the country. Besides, the land there is great for plantation, as well as the climate conditions.
Grão Especial – What is the size of your farm?
Tim Wendelboe – I own seven hectares but only planted in one hectare. There is a lot of work to do out there.
Grão Especial – Which varieties did you plant?
Tim Wendelboe – Tipica, Gesha, Caturra, from a Colombian variety and for the future I intend to plant SO 28, from Kenya.
Grão Especial – Didn’t you ever consider a property in Brazil?
Tim Wendelboe – No, also because I haven’t bought special coffees from Brazil. For me, it didn’t make much sense. I would have to have a person to help me with production, and I already had it in Colombia. If I were to buy lands in Brazil, it would take more time to start producing, until I could find someone reliable to manage the farm. And there is also the legal issue.
Grão Especial – And why haven’t you bought Brazilian special coffees?
Tim Wendelboe – First, I want to make clear that I appreciate a lot Brazilian special coffees, chiefly those from Caparaó. I see huge potential in them. But buying small amounts in Brazil, like 30 to 50 bags, my current demand, became complicated and loading is very expensive. Another reason is that in my coffee shop Brazilian coffees are hard to sell. My customers prefer more acid and fruity like those from Eastern Africa. And my staff could not understand as yet the nuances of Brazilian coffees. But, if my sales increase, I want to buy Brazilian coffees again. When that happens, I will definitely buy Espírito Santos coffees, because, in my opinion, they are the best special coffees in Brazil. I also like those from Chapada Diamantina and Cerrado Mineiro.
Grão Especial – Which were the highlights of your visit to Brazil?
Tim Wendelboe – There were many, but my visit to Daterra farm was really very fruitful. I believe it is the most important farm today in Brazil, because there is consistency in their coffee. They do a lot of research, chiefly on the impact of climatic changes, they have capital and the right persons. I believe the work they are doing with researches can help a lot Brazilian special coffees reach another level. I wrote down a series of things during my stay there, and I’m still reading everything I learnt there.
Grão Especial – What is your impression on special coffee scenario in Brazil?
Tim Wendelboe – I had little time to move around and, in fact, I only drank coffee at the Coffee Lab. But the interest increased a lot, I saw that by the amount of people who attended the event for the launching of my book. I was amazed!
Grão Especial – What message would you leave for special coffee producers in Brazil?
Tim Wendelboe – In Brazil, there are two types of special coffee producers. Large ones and small ones. I think it is always easier for the small producer to change. I believe that, in a near future, the consumer will prefer coffees with more tastes, with natural acidity, shade-grown coffees, and the small producer will be more ready to quickly implement these changes, even introducing new varieties. I don’t see a reason for Brazilian special coffees to evoke only chocolate and chestnut notes. There is a world of possibilities that include new processing, varieties, fermentations, etc., which can make Brazilian special coffees much more interesting.
Grão Especial – your book “Coffee with Tim Wendelboe” was written in 2009 and was translated to Portuguese only now. To which languages was it translated so far?
Tim Wendelboe – “Coffee” was already translated to Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Norwegian, English, and now to Portuguese.
Grão Especial – Tell us about the book.
Tim Wendelboe – The most important thing is to be humble about the knowledge on the coffee world. Don’t think you already know everything. Even if you spent your whole life drinking coffee, that doesn’t mean you are an expert on the subject. There are several ways to prepare it and in the book I attempt to help readers become good coffee makers. But my best advice before start reading the book is: don’t stick to what you think coffee should be. Instead, try to discover what coffee can be. Taste is what matters, always.
Grão Especial – Do you have plans for a new book?
Tim Wendelboe – Yes, I started to draft it in my head already, but didn’t start writing. It will be about espresso coffee. I promise that, this time, it won’t take too long to launch it in Portuguese.
Grão Especial – Would you like to leave a message for the whole chain of Brazilian special coffees?
Tim Wendelboe – Yes. I would like to see the whole chain more united. Baristas, roasters, producers. For me, it doesn’t make sense a barista not to know a coffee tree, or to never visit a farm. Roasters, at least, have to make this bridge. Brazil is a privileged country. It has production and consumption. It is necessary to unite this chain ties.
Tim Wendelboe – worked as barista in Oslo for several years, even in the renowned restaurant awarded as the best worldwide, Noma. There he learnt how to enchant customers. He worked for a chain of coffee shops in Oslo, the Stockfleth. And, in 2007, he opened his own business, which gathers a coffee shop and a training center at the same address. His micro-roasting unit is located at another address. Tim imports, roasts and sells high quality specialty coffees, in addition to have started his own production in a small property in Colombia.
Address:
Tim Wendelboe – Grüners street gate 1, 0552 Oslo, Norway
Telephone: +47 94431627
Site: www.timwendelboe.no (accepts orders also from Brazil)
