The April + May 2020 15th anniversary issue of Barista Magazine is here, featuring Deadstock Coffee’s Ian Williams. Also included: ‘United by Difference: Coffee + Wine,’ ‘Measuring Success: Annual Reviews,’ ‘The Manager’s Handbook,’ ‘The Hidden Costs of Coffee: Part 3,’ a ‘Master Q+A’ with Carrboro Coffee’s Scott Conary, and much more!
BY KENNETH R. OLSON
BARISTA MAGAZINE
April is here, and with the new month comes another issue of Barista Magazine. This isn’t just any issue, though—it’s our 15th anniversary issue! And April also means that the SCA Expo is just around the corner, and we’re so excited that it’s happening this year in our hometown of Portland, Oregon! We can’t wait to see you all in person!
OK, hold the phone. That’s how I thought I’d be starting this post just a couple of weeks ago. But in the days since, while our new issue was literally on the printing press, the world turned upside down.
We are disappointed, to say the least, that not only will Expo not be here in April, it won’t be here in Portland or in 2020 at all. And next month’s MICE event in Melbourne, Australia, where we’d see a new World Barista Champion crowned, has been postponed until November. And those things are suddenly too so minor.
Coffee shops, cafés, and restaurants the world over have been ordered shut. Others may be open but can only offer take-out. And millions of people have been put out of work. Even that isn’t the worst of it, though it’s a disaster. We also watch or read the news each day with feelings of hopelessness and dread as the infection count and deaths from COVID-19 continue to rise around the globe.
But I also know this: As bad as it is right now, and as bad as it will be in the coming months, we will get through this, just like we always do in the specialty coffee industry: together.
Cover Feature: Ian Williams
Ian Williams, this issue’s cover feature, knows all about overcoming adversity and working for the betterment of his community. In “Ian Williams: Coffee Sneakerhead,” Barista Magazine’s editor-in-chief Sarah Allen writes about Ian’s personal journey, how he came to love coffee, and why it’s important to him for his shop Deadstock to play such an involved role in his community.
Coffee + Wine
Often in our industry we talk about how we’d love consumers to think more about coffee the way they do about wine, and importantly, value coffee like they do wine. Wine professional Andrew Kientz and coffee pro Ana Mallozzi team up in “United by Difference” to lay out the basics in cultivation and processing for both coffee and wine to note the similarities and differences between the two.
Performance Reviews that Work
Popular writer RJ Joseph is back tackling a topic that often brings frustration, eye-rolls, and general ennui: performance reviews. But RJ writes that with some guidance, advice from experts, and an understanding that both parties have something to gain, performance reviews can actually become a powerful tool to make your café run its best.
‘The Manager’s Handbook’: Leadership
Along those lines, Maggie Davis brings the first installment of a new limited series called “The Manager’s Handbook.” Maggie writes, “In this series for Barista Magazine, I want to dig into leadership development, exploring what that means and unpacking some of the tools we can use to improve ourselves and inspire our teams.”
‘The Hidden Costs of Coffee: Part 3’
Part 3 of Sierra Burgess-Yeo’s series “The Hidden Costs of Coffee” looks at the role coyotes play in coffee production. Coyotes are middlemen who pay cash for ripe coffee, which can be an appealing option for a farmer with bills to pay. But selling coffee to coyotes comes with trade-offs. Sierra takes a look at what those trade-offs are and why a farmer might be willing to sell to a coyote anyway.
‘Master Q+A’: Scott Conary
Scott Conary heads up Carrboro Coffee Roasters and a couple of cafés in North Carolina. He was originally drawn to the area as a scientist and researcher, but he is probably best known for his countless hours given to the specialty-coffee community as a judge and volunteer for competitions. We had a chance to interview him for this issue’s “Master Q&A.”
You can find much more in the April + May 2020 15th Anniversary issue of Barista Magazine. And as always, you have your choice to read it in paper or digital format. You can order a hard copy through our online store here or start a subscription. Of course you can also read it for free online on our website or take it with you with our free app.
A note about subscriptions and renewals: As we know many of our readers face tough economic times and uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have suspended renewals. All subscriptions that were current on March 17, 2020, were automatically extended for an additional six months for free. Additionally, through June, we are offering half-off any new subscription in our online store.
It has been an honor and privilege to serve this community for the last 15 years. As challenging as these times are, we know that this community stands resilient, determined, and giving. We will support it however we can during this time of crisis, and we know without a doubt that until this passes, our community will continue to help others as it has always done. Thank you for letting Barista Magazine be a part of it.
