August 01, 2024
We’re now heading into August and are lucky to have the legends over at Commonfolk Coffee along for the ride. The Commonfolk Team is a special group of people. Their passion for coffee is undeniable. Not only are they expert roasters, they also care deeply about the supply chain, coffee production and farming.
Based on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Commonfolk is actually neighbours and good friends with our last month’s feature roaster, Prodigal Coffee! These two coffee superstars are killing it in their region. Commonfolk currently has three cafes where you can enjoy their coffee and eat some tasty treats: in Mornington, Frankston and South Yarra. Alongside their buddies at Prodigal, they’ve upped the caffeine game on the peninsula, making it a ‘must visit’ destination for coffee lovers.
There’s plenty keeping Commonfolk busy in their roastery and cafes, but there are some exciting things in store for the rest of the year involving their charity ‘The Cup That Counts’. Keep an eye out on their socials for updates! They’re doing amazing things for the industry.
The Interview
We caught up with Commonfolk Coffee’s Head of Coffee, Tommy Terlaak, to chat about how Commonfolk was started, how they source their beans and what they’ve been up to recently.
How did Commonfolk Coffee get started? Talk us through the process and challenges.
In 2013 Commonfolk was started by 4 friends with the same vision – to open a coffee roastery and cafe that could be a place for everyone and a business that pioneered ways to make coffee a fairer industry for all. Before the doors opened, it was agreed that 20 cents from every cup ever sold would be contributed to a fund that would support coffee projects that elevated people. It’s not a small business without setbacks and challenges. I would say often we can become victims of our own ambitions, biting off a bit too much for a small coffee company..
How do you source your coffee beans and what do you look for in the beans you use?
We like to import coffee ourselves where we can, otherwise we support the good things and work with great importers like Caravela, First Crop Coffee, Osito and Minas Hill to help facilitate our partnerships with producers. Continued support is something we value highly, returning year after year and not chasing new trends or cheaper coffee is key. We’re happy to weather price increases with our partners and work out ways to better share the risks. Green coffee can be fickle, so we are determined to be a stable partner who is in it for the long haul.
We also look for producers who are improving their communities – either financially, socially or environmentally. Taste also goes without saying! It might seem backwards, but we find producers’ coffee increases in quality when we commit to long term partnership. The producers we work with have amazing feedback loops, we are both always looking for ways to be better partners for each other. We also like super weird stuff like funky naturals or different fermentations.
What do you consider your most notable coffee achievements?
Commonfolk’s charity The Cup That Counts, and the impact it has brought to people all across the coffee industry supply chain, is by far our biggest achievement. The Cup That Counts has raised over $423,000 to date and has supported many different projects. One of which was investing in the creation of a Ugandan coffee company called Zukuka Bora, whose coffee you are enjoying this month! Another project is Homeground which is a training cafe in a marginal community, providing young people vocation and opportunity in hospitality. This charity is only just beginning, we’re always looking for opportunities in the industry to positively impact people’s lives.
What are you looking forward to in the coffee industry at the moment? Any cool trends we should keep our eye on?
After 12 years in the coffee industry it is easy to become cynical and frustrated. That said, I’m looking forward to seeing consumers become aware that they have the power to make a difference. When you buy coffee you’re basically voting – you’re supporting and endorsing a cafe, a roaster and a producer. If you choose to buy coffee that perpetuates inequality and exploitation, that will remain the status quo. If you choose to spend a little bit more money supporting cafes and roasters that share the wealth, knowledge and risk – then we can all make a change together and improve the coffee industry on a global scale. Don’t scoff at the price of coffee without thinking about how many people have worked to make it! Instead, be glad that your daily coffee choice can actually make a huge impact on people’s lives all over the world.
The Coffee
MUYANDA BLEND
ESPRESSO COFFEE
Introducing this month’s espresso coffee called Muyanda! Muyanda is a single origin espresso from the Muyanda region in Uganda. The Muyanda region is located just outside Mbale at the base of Mt Elgon. Muyanda was the local community of one of the Zukuka Bora founders and some land was borrowed to start processing coffee in 2014. In 2024 the Muyanda site became the heart of Zukuka Bora and the small community is now thriving. A large wet mill now sits on the edge of Muyanda, along with raised drying beds and greenhouses. Exciting times!
Coffee Origin:
Uganda
Tasting Notes:
Notes of milk chocolate, green grape and plum.
Recipe:
Dose in: 21g
Dose out: 48g
Time: 27-29 seconds
PEGASUS BLEND
FILTER COFFEE
A delicious blend of two different coffees from the Bududa region in Uganda. The first being the iconic Commonfolk coffee called Unicorn which is a naturally processed coffee. Unicorn is paired with a washed coffee, from the same region, called Horse. This coffee showcases both the natural and washed processing methods from this region, highlighting the quality and versatility from Bududa.
The money from last year’s Good Coffee fundraiser was used to purchase a permanent Bududa buying site. This region was geographically harder to buy coffee from, but now with a dedicated site the Zukuka Bora Team roasters can now partner with Bududa producers better than ever. This coffee showcases both the natural and washed processing methods from this region, highlighting the quality and versatility from Bududa. The profits from this coffee is also helping raise funds for the next project, a drying site in Koutlai!
Coffee Origin:
Uganda
Tasting Notes:
Notes of lemon curd, blackcurrant & green-strawberry
Recipe:
Dose in: 21g
Dose out: 48g
Time: 27-29 seconds
Recipe (V60) :
Dose 20g to 300g
Water straight off the boil
60g bloom for 30 seconds
At 30 seconds pour 60g
At 1 minute and 30 seconds pour 60g
At 2 minutes pour 120g
Brew time around 3 minutes to 3 minutes and 30 seconds