Davide Cobelli

1-Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Hi, I’m Davide Cobelli and I live in Verona (the city of Romeo and Juliet), I’ve been in the world of coffee for a decade as a consultant and trainer; in 2016 I opened the Coffee Training Academy and in 2019 the Artisan Roasting Garage Coffee Bros. In 2020 I became Italian Roasting Champion.

2-When and why did coffee become important to you?

From an early age I saw my father tinkering with a coffee machine (Baby Gaggia) at home: I was less than 10 years old and I already felt that the scent of coffee attracted me. For me, coffee is a memory of home and family.

3-Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Yes, it was at Stumptown in NYC; a cup of coffee from Ethiopia, a washed one. Coming back from that trip, I tried to make an Espresso at home and I realized that the coffee could be much more than only burnt and bitter. It all started from there.

4-What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I think that what I love most is waking up happy to go to work. I think it’s a privilege that everyone should feel. Do what you like and make it profitable and sustainable.

5-What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I would say percolating paper extractions. The cleanliness and sensory transparency that allow coffee to express undoubtedly make me love these methods.

6-Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

The next one I drink! It will certainly be different from the previous one and the thing is exciting and never predictable.

7-Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I love Ethiopia for the incredible variety and quality of coffee it gives us; I love Honduras for the people I met there, whom I call stepbrothers.

8-Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I think it would be right to taste them all (or as many as possible), it is the only way to compare and be able to choose your favorite.

9-What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

This sector has given me a lot, first of all the opportunity to travel all over the world, something that I would never have dreamed of until 10 years ago. Meeting people, sharing experiences, absorbing and discovering new cultures.

10-How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the newchallenges for hospitality?

It is a difficult period but we will get out of it by continuing to persevere in the pursuit of quality, there are no great compromises and I believe that being true to yourself is the winning weapon for the future.

11-How do you the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

If I look back, I can see that we have come a long way in a few years. I hope that the future will always be centered on the quality and sustainability of the supply chain. On the right value, of things and people.

12-Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I don’t make such long-term predictions 🙂

13-Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Believe in yourself and never give up.