Who is the Meletius coffee roaster?
Meet our expert coffee roaster, Em Andrews
Hello! I’m Em - the coffee roaster at Meletius and the face behind these blog posts.
Coffee plays a huge role in my life, and I’ve always been completely fascinated by the culture behind it. However, when I had my first ever cup – I hated it. 12-year-old me simply could not handle the intense, overwhelming, bitter taste and had coffee jitters for hours after.
Despite this, something just always drew me towards coffee; I desperately wanted to love it. The social occasion, the science behind it and the attention to detail required from the baristas. I eased myself into it until eventually I reached the point of appreciating how incredible a smooth, balanced cup of black coffee could be.
It quickly became the highlight of every day. Whether it was taking the time to grind fresh beans to brew at home or after long days at school – seeking out new, unique cafes to relax, meet people and take time to appreciate such a simple yet meaningful thing – the smells, tastes and sounds made it a full sensory experience which is shared universally. It brings people together, increases productivity, wakes you up, calms you down and the most incredible thing is that this can be experienced in any corner of the world.
Having worked at Meletius since the roasting plant was nothing more than a building site, my curiosity around coffee is still unwavering. I enjoy every stage of the coffee roasting process. I feel it’s a genuine craft, combining the scientific side of the brain in terms of chemical reactions, precisely adjusting roast temperatures and times, with the creative side of the brain - cupping new coffees and thinking how they would work in new blends and styles of drink.
The coffee sector on a whole is buzzing, welcoming and full of exciting developments, although it remains an industry where women are significantly underrepresented – a topic that will be covered later on in the Sunday Roast series. It’s for this reason I feel even more grateful to be at the heart of it, providing people with the ingredients to experience a truly good cup of coffee.
- Em Andrews
