We had a slight unexpected hiatus on Interviewing The Coffee Industry, however we are back with daily posts!
Today we are talking to Patrick, someone who I have followed on Instagram for what I feel like is years. Find out what he says below!
How are you?
I’m good to be honest, I’m lucky enough to be doing the same as I was always doing in my life during this pandemic, I still work only there's a change of careers, brew a lot of coffee at home, watch Netflix while sitting on the sofa with my 4 dogs. I thought 2020 was going to be bad by turning 30 so this pandemic makes turning 30 very small ha.
I started working in the local coffee roastery as a roastery assistant at the start of may this year which was probably the biggest decision/risk I have ever taken as I was leaving a 10 year full time job in an ice cream factory as a head production operator that was depressing, cold and the days dragged out as you would start at 6am and be lucky to finish for 4pm but the job was very safe guaranteed a “job for life” and wages every week, so then on a Sunday I received a DM on Instagram from the local roastery if I was interested in the role as a roastery assistant which I took and started working there the following week slightly frighten as when I started there was near enough zero cafés in Ireland open fairly sure our own café was the only café open for takeaway in Cork city but there was over 100 online orders to keep us busy, now thankfully these days even though we are back in lockdown I can relax because all out wholesale customers are back open as they made upgrades to serve as takeaway cafes and the online sales are fairly solid now as most people have now gotten use to making coffee at home, I could only imagine the profits aeropress are going to make buy the end of the year haha,
I think I am one of very few that coronavirus has actually turned my life around 360 but in a good way change of career and actually looking forward to work I think most of my family & get sick of me saying that I actually don’t see it was a job because I enjoy it so much.
What has been the biggest challenge you have faced in the coffee industry through 2020?
Getting to grips with the amount of detail there is in the coffee industry full stop, when I was in my last job I would be doing quality tasting of the ice cream so I would have been fairly confident with my palette for taste then on Wednesdays we cup coffees and I get nothing only the taste of “coffee” thankfully the head roaster is retraining my palette but that is my biggest challenge I am still working on.
How have you felt about the Coffee Industry this year?
I only said it the other day this pandemic is after showing who is actually nice and who is acting nice in the coffee industry lucky though the mass majority of the coffee industry are really nice encouraging genuine people but those one or two have shown what they really think of there staff.
What is something you’ve missed in the coffee industry in 2020?
Festivals I was supposed to go to London coffee festival this year cancelled, events like local competitions brewers cup, aeropress, barista comps but then thing I miss the much is exploring new cafes just the simple thing of sitting down in a café just relaxing watching the world go by.
How has coronavirus/being out of work/lockdown affected your mental health?
It has being a blessing for my mental health in the change of career during the lockdown.
What are you looking forward to in 2021?
Exploring cafes, going to comps, finally going to London coffee festival and looking into setting up my own little single origin coffee cart.
Find Patrick
Instagram - Click Here
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